This paper presents a decision support tool called FAST aimed at optimising fleet allocations and obtaining minimum cost delivery routes. FAST is implemented in Microsoft Excel and therefore provides a user interface that is widely available, familiar to most users, and has minimal hardware requirements. The development approach used thus provides a template for the production of decision support tools that have low development costs, customised applications, short training periods and no special hardware requirements. This should address many of the concerns raised by small and medium transport operators in adopting computer-based solutions for their day-to-day operations. A case study involving a capacitated VRP (Vehicle Routing Problem) with pick-up and delivery, multiple depots, and a heterogeneous fleet was used to evaluate the performance of FAST. FAST was shown to produce significantly lower schedules. It is hoped that the performance of FAST and its economic value would finally convince transport operators to adopt a more open approach to new technology. (a).
Abstract