A Novel Hybrid Multi-Objective Optimization Approach for Sustainable Delivery Systems With a Case Study of Izmir

Abstract

The main novelty of this study is to present a novel two-stage solution method designed for sustainable last-mile delivery systems in urban areas. A proposed hybrid solution methodology includes a multi-criteria decision-making system to select the most efficient logistics providers by considering different performance indicators and a mixed integer linear optimization model in operations of last-mile cargo distributions by drones within metropolitan areas by considering time windows for customer services. We present the multi-objective modelling approach, data analysis and outline important characteristics of the mathematical programming problem to minimize transportation cost (in the meantime, carbon dioxide emissions) and total sustainability score of the system by using epsilon-constraint method to find out the Pareto frontier. The proposed solution methodology is applied to an illustrative case by using real-life data of one of the metropolitans in Turkey. The approach is shown as comparative analysis, after defining some preprocessing, symmetry breaking steps, valid inequalities and logic cuts. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.