Vehicle routing problems and genetic algorithm approach to the stochastic vehicle routing problem with time windows

Logistic is that part of the supply chain process that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective flow and storage of goods, services, and related information from the point-of origin to the point-of-consumption in order to meet customers' requirements. Vehicle routing problem (VRP) plays key role in logistic distribution system. One of the most commonly studied and discussed transportation problems is the vehicle routing problem or VRP. The vehicle routing problem (VRP) is associated with the design of a set of minimum cost routes for a fleet of vehicles to serve, exactly once, a set of customers with known demands. The problem has two objectives, one of them minimize the total distance traveled so the minimal number of routes the other is the minimal cost routes for the vehicles. Stochastic VRP (SVRP) is VRPs where one or several components of the problem are random. There are many solution techniques for Vehicle Routing Problems. In this thesis Genetic Algorithm used to solve Stochastic Vehicle Routing Problem. Keywords: Logistic management, physical distribution, vehicle routing problems, genetic algorithm.