IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jmathe/v10y2022i5p830-d764787.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Heuristic-Based Simulation for an Education Process to Learn about Optimization Applications in Logistics and Transportation

Author

Listed:
  • Majsa Ammouriova

    (Computer Science Department, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Massimo Bertolini

    (“Enzo Ferrari” Engineering Department, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy)

  • Juliana Castaneda

    (Computer Science Department, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Angel A. Juan

    (Department of Applied Statistics and Operations Research, Universitat Politècnica de València, 03801 Alcoy, Spain)

  • Mattia Neroni

    (“Enzo Ferrari” Engineering Department, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy)

Abstract

In the context of the DigiLab4U international project, this paper describes a simulation-based serious game that can be used as a virtual teaching lab in higher education courses, especially in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Data Science, Management Science and Operations Research, as well as Computer Science. The learning activity focuses on understanding distribution logistics problems related to transportation optimization using different techniques. These optimization challenges include the vehicle routing problem, the arc routing problem, and the team orienteering problem. As a result of the learning process in the virtual lab, it is expected that students acquire competencies and skills related to logistics and transportation challenges as well as problem-solving. These competencies and skills can be precious for students’ future careers, since they increase students’ analytical skills, capacity to understand heuristic-based algorithms, teamwork and interdisciplinary communication skills, programming skills, and statistical abilities. A preliminary version of this training activity has already been used in MSc and PhD courses held at universities in Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Portugal.

Suggested Citation

  • Majsa Ammouriova & Massimo Bertolini & Juliana Castaneda & Angel A. Juan & Mattia Neroni, 2022. "A Heuristic-Based Simulation for an Education Process to Learn about Optimization Applications in Logistics and Transportation," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:10:y:2022:i:5:p:830-:d:764787
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/10/5/830/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/10/5/830/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. G. B. Dantzig & J. H. Ramser, 1959. "The Truck Dispatching Problem," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(1), pages 80-91, October.
    2. Pureza, Vitória & Morabito, Reinaldo & Reimann, Marc, 2012. "Vehicle routing with multiple deliverymen: Modeling and heuristic approaches for the VRPTW," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 218(3), pages 636-647.
    3. Jesica Armas & Peter Keenan & Angel A. Juan & Seán McGarraghy, 2019. "Solving large-scale time capacitated arc routing problems: from real-time heuristics to metaheuristics," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 273(1), pages 135-162, February.
    4. G. Clarke & J. W. Wright, 1964. "Scheduling of Vehicles from a Central Depot to a Number of Delivery Points," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 12(4), pages 568-581, August.
    5. Zachariadis, Emmanouil E. & Tarantilis, Christos D. & Kiranoudis, Christos T., 2009. "A Guided Tabu Search for the Vehicle Routing Problem with two-dimensional loading constraints," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 195(3), pages 729-743, June.
    6. Reil, Sebastian & Bortfeldt, Andreas & Mönch, Lars, 2018. "Heuristics for vehicle routing problems with backhauls, time windows, and 3D loading constraints," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 266(3), pages 877-894.
    7. Felix Wortmann & Kristina Flüchter, 2015. "Internet of Things," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 57(3), pages 221-224, June.
    8. Gunawan, Aldy & Lau, Hoong Chuin & Vansteenwegen, Pieter, 2016. "Orienteering Problem: A survey of recent variants, solution approaches and applications," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 255(2), pages 315-332.
    9. Vansteenwegen, Pieter & Souffriau, Wouter & Oudheusden, Dirk Van, 2011. "The orienteering problem: A survey," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 209(1), pages 1-10, February.
    10. Chao, I-Ming & Golden, Bruce L. & Wasil, Edward A., 1996. "The team orienteering problem," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 464-474, February.
    11. Laporte, Gilbert, 1992. "The vehicle routing problem: An overview of exact and approximate algorithms," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(3), pages 345-358, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Afsaneh Amiri & Majid Salari, 2019. "Time-constrained maximal covering routing problem," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 41(2), pages 415-468, June.
    2. Jumbo, Olga & Moghaddass, Ramin, 2022. "Resource optimization and image processing for vegetation management programs in power distribution networks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 319(C).
    3. Ido Orenstein & Tal Raviv & Elad Sadan, 2019. "Flexible parcel delivery to automated parcel lockers: models, solution methods and analysis," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 8(5), pages 683-711, December.
    4. Oscar Dominguez & Angel A. Juan & Barry Barrios & Javier Faulin & Alba Agustin, 2016. "Using biased randomization for solving the two-dimensional loading vehicle routing problem with heterogeneous fleet," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 236(2), pages 383-404, January.
    5. Racha El-Hajj & Rym Nesrine Guibadj & Aziz Moukrim & Mehdi Serairi, 2020. "A PSO based algorithm with an efficient optimal split procedure for the multiperiod vehicle routing problem with profit," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 291(1), pages 281-316, August.
    6. Shima Azizi & Özge Aygül & Brenton Faber & Sharon Johnson & Renata Konrad & Andrew C. Trapp, 2023. "Select, route and schedule: optimizing community paramedicine service delivery with mandatory visits and patient prioritization," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 719-746, December.
    7. Dominguez, Oscar & Guimarans, Daniel & Juan, Angel A. & de la Nuez, Ignacio, 2016. "A Biased-Randomised Large Neighbourhood Search for the two-dimensional Vehicle Routing Problem with Backhauls," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 255(2), pages 442-462.
    8. Kritikos, Manolis N. & Ioannou, George, 2010. "The balanced cargo vehicle routing problem with time windows," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 42-51, January.
    9. Antonio R. Uguina & Juan F. Gomez & Javier Panadero & Anna Martínez-Gavara & Angel A. Juan, 2024. "A Learnheuristic Algorithm Based on Thompson Sampling for the Heterogeneous and Dynamic Team Orienteering Problem," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-19, June.
    10. Ruiz-Meza, José & Montoya-Torres, Jairo R., 2022. "A systematic literature review for the tourist trip design problem: Extensions, solution techniques and future research lines," Operations Research Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 9(C).
    11. Mohamed Cissé & Semih Yalçindag & Yannick Kergosien & Evren Sahin & Christophe Lenté & Andrea Matta, 2017. "OR problems related to Home Health Care: A review of relevant routing and scheduling problems," Post-Print hal-01736714, HAL.
    12. Shiri, Davood & Akbari, Vahid & Hassanzadeh, Ali, 2024. "The Capacitated Team Orienteering Problem: An online optimization framework with predictions of unknown accuracy," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    13. Manuel Iori & Silvano Martello, 2010. "Routing problems with loading constraints," TOP: An Official Journal of the Spanish Society of Statistics and Operations Research, Springer;Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, vol. 18(1), pages 4-27, July.
    14. Qinxiao Yu & Yossiri Adulyasak & Louis-Martin Rousseau & Ning Zhu & Shoufeng Ma, 2022. "Team Orienteering with Time-Varying Profit," INFORMS Journal on Computing, INFORMS, vol. 34(1), pages 262-280, January.
    15. Xiao, Yiyong & Konak, Abdullah, 2016. "The heterogeneous green vehicle routing and scheduling problem with time-varying traffic congestion," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 146-166.
    16. Vidal, Thibaut & Crainic, Teodor Gabriel & Gendreau, Michel & Prins, Christian, 2013. "Heuristics for multi-attribute vehicle routing problems: A survey and synthesis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 231(1), pages 1-21.
    17. Zhao, Yanlu & Alfandari, Laurent, 2020. "Design of diversified package tours for the digital travel industry : A branch-cut-and-price approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 285(3), pages 825-843.
    18. Oscar Dominguez & Angel Juan & Barry Barrios & Javier Faulin & Alba Agustin, 2016. "Using biased randomization for solving the two-dimensional loading vehicle routing problem with heterogeneous fleet," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 236(2), pages 383-404, January.
    19. Shengbin Wang & Weizhen Rao & Yuan Hong, 2020. "A distance matrix based algorithm for solving the traveling salesman problem," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1505-1542, September.
    20. Roberto Aringhieri & Sara Bigharaz & Davide Duma & Alberto Guastalla, 2022. "Fairness in ambulance routing for post disaster management," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 30(1), pages 189-211, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:10:y:2022:i:5:p:830-:d:764787. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.