Stochastic Fleet Size and Mix Consistent Vehicle Routing Problem for Last Mile Delivery
Introducción al Curso
This course explores how Operations Research (OR) and Stochastic Programming can be applied to model and solve a real Last Mile delivery problem with uncertain customer demand. Through the study of fleet sizing and routing decisions for light electric vehicles, students will gain both methodological and practical insights into how uncertainty affects urban logistics planning.
The course is structured into four main parts:
- Introduction and context. The first part provides an overview of parcel and mail delivery problems, with a focus on the case of “Poste Italiane”. Students will be introduced to the operational and strategic challenges of Last Mile logistics and the emerging role of Light Mobility solutions.
- Mathematical formulation. The second module focuses on the step-by-step construction of the stochastic mathematical model, including the definition of parameters, decision variables, objective function, and relevant constraints.
- Solution methodologies. The third part provides the methodological foundations for solving the formulated problem, exploring algorithmic strategies and heuristic approaches that ensure computational efficiency and practical feasibility.
- Numerical analysis and insights. The final part discusses the obtained results, highlighting the benefits and managerial insights derived from the proposed models, with particular emphasis on the implications of their stochastic nature. This section also includes a real-world case study inspired by “Poste Italiane”, allowing students to apply stochastic optimization techniques to fleet dimensioning and routing decisions for light electric vehicles.
Tecnología, Design e Ingeniería
Horas de Entrenamiento8
NivelAdvanced
Metodos de CursoAutoaprendizaje
English
Duraciòn4 Semana
TipologíaOnline
Estado del CursoPre-Inscripción
Agenda del Curso
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Apertura del Curso
Cierra Curso
Resultados de Aprendizaje
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- Critically assess the role of Light Mobility in improving the operational efficiency and flexibility of Last Mile Delivery systems.
- Apply and extend tools from Operations Research, and in particular Stochastic Programming, to formulate and solve fleet sizing and routing problems for light (electric) vehicles under uncertain demand conditions.
- Compare and evaluate different mathematical formulations (including node-based and path-based models) and explore scalable solution strategies such as the Kernel Search algorithm.
- Quantitatively assess the impact of demand stochasticity and evaluate the quality of stochastic solutions relative to their deterministic counterparts.
- Design and analyze numerical experiments on small-scale instances to validate the proposed formulations.
- Interpret and synthesize managerial insights from real-world case studies on Last Mile Delivery operations, drawing on empirical data provided by Poste Italiane (the Italian postal company).
Conocimiento Recomendado
The course is intended for master’s and doctoral students who are already familiar with the fundamental concepts of Operations Research and the Vehicle Routing Problem, as well as for mobility managers and technical staff within territorial authorities involved in infrastructure and mobility planning.
Libros de texto y lecturas recomendadas
- Beatrici, P., Maggioni, F., Birolini, S., & Malighetti, P. (2025). Sustainable Logistics: the impact of e-bikes in Last Mile delivery, The Future of Slow Mobility, Research for Development, ISSN: 2198-7300, to appear.
- Beatrici, P., Maggioni, F., Birolini, S., & Malighetti, P. (2025). Stochastic Fleet Size and Mix Consistent Vehicle Routing Problem for Last Mile Delivery, arXiv.
- Birge, J. R., & Louveaux, F. (2011). Introduction to stochastic programming. Springer Science & Business Media.
- King, A., & Wallace, S. W. (2012). Modeling with stochastic programming (Vol. 4). New York: Springer.
- Toth, P., & Vigo, D. (2014). Vehicle routing: problems, methods, and applications. SIAM.
Formato del Curso
The course is structured into 8 short videos that address the various proposed topics, offering explanations of the essential theoretical contents supported by infographics, examples, and practical applications to facilitate understanding of the concepts presented.Reglas para la obtención de certificados y Exámenes
Costo del Certificado de Participación
Students will be required to complete a multiple-choice test at the end of each section of the course.
