The Stochastic Multiperiod Location Transportation Problem

This paper studies a stochastic multiperiod location-transportation problem (SMLTP) characterized by multiple transportation options, multiple demand periods, and a stochastic demand. We consider the determination of the number and location of the depots required to satisfy customer demand as well as the mission of these depots in terms of the subset of customers they must supply. The problem is formulated as a stochastic program with recourse, and a hierarchical heuristic solution approach is proposed. It incorporates a tabu search procedure, an approximate route length formula, and a modified procedure of Clarke and Wright (Clarke, G., J. W. Wright. 1964. Scheduling of vehicles from a central depot to a number of delivery points. Oper. Res. 12 568-581). Three neighbourhood exploration strategies are proposed and compared with extensive experiments based on realistic problems.