Article: Using the route planning for supplying spare parts to reduce distribution costs: a case study in a roadside assistance company Journal: International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics (IJSTL) 2025 Vol.20 No.1 pp.131 - 158 Abstract: In this study, a distribution model has been proposed to optimise the transportation, inventory, and shortage costs for the delivery of spare parts to roadside assistance cars. The model is based on the travelling salesman problem (TSP), where we have added a function to optimise distribution days. The model has been used in a real case for a roadside assistance company with 36 roadside assistance cars. In the company's current plan, each car visits the company's warehouse every five days to pick up spare parts. Using a delivery truck is proposed to deliver spare parts to the roadside assistance cars. Based on this proposal, a model was developed to reduce distribution costs by choosing the optimal delivery route and distribution days. The proposed plan has reduced the distribution cost by more than 50% compared with the current distribution plan used by the company. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Using the route planning for supplying spare parts to reduce distribution costs: a case study in a roadside assistance company

Authors: Abolfazl Shafaei; Mohammad Reza Akbari Jokar; Majid Rafiee; Ahmad Hemmati

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Faculty in Industrial Engineering Group, Golpayegan College of Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Golpayegan, Iran ' Faculty in Department of Industrial Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran ' Faculty in Department of Industrial Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran ' Faculty in Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

Abstract: In this study, a distribution model has been proposed to optimise the transportation, inventory, and shortage costs for the delivery of spare parts to roadside assistance cars. The model is based on the travelling salesman problem (TSP), where we have added a function to optimise distribution days. The model has been used in a real case for a roadside assistance company with 36 roadside assistance cars. In the company's current plan, each car visits the company's warehouse every five days to pick up spare parts. Using a delivery truck is proposed to deliver spare parts to the roadside assistance cars. Based on this proposal, a model was developed to reduce distribution costs by choosing the optimal delivery route and distribution days. The proposed plan has reduced the distribution cost by more than 50% compared with the current distribution plan used by the company.

Keywords: distribution spare parts; route planning; travelling salesman problem; TSP; inventory routing problem; IRP; roadside assistance; distribution cost.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2025.144995

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2025 Vol.20 No.1, pp.131 - 158

Received: 25 Nov 2022
Accepted: 09 Jun 2023
Published online: 17 Mar 2025 *

Title: Using the route planning for supplying spare parts to reduce distribution costs: a case study in a roadside assistance company

Keep up-to-date