Research team
Expertise
My research expertise lies at the intersection of operations management, transport and supply chain management, with a focus on developing quantitative models and decision-support tools for more efficient and sustainable logistics systems. My work combines optimisation, data analytics and empirical research to address strategic and operational challenges in freight transport, urban logistics and circular supply chains. My research interests include consumer-centric circular logistics, integrating consumer behaviour into operations management models to better understand its impact on logistics system design, service performance and sustainability. Across these research areas, I work closely with industry and public stakeholders to ensure that methodological developments address real-world logistics challenges.
Integration of the MooV-model with first/last mile optimalisation.
Abstract
The purpose of network design in supply chains is to ensure the efficient flow of materials in economic, social, and environmental terms. All the decisions that companies make towards efficiency in the operation start from the design of the network at a strategic level, and as the planning horizon reduces, decisions become more concrete until reaching daily actions. The logic sequence is that strategic decisions are made first and condition the subsequent decisions (tactical and operational). Nevertheless, the optimization of each of the decisions has been carried out separately and in stages. The literature shows that there are models for either network design, based on facility location problems, or last-mile distribution in terms of vehicle routing problems. But there are no models that comprehensively optimize the supply chain as a whole. VITO has developed the MooV model, designed to solve long-term strategic/tactical questions (yearly/monthly) related to the design of the supply chain network. However, in MooV the network design and the vehicle routing problems are optimized separately without mutual communication. The overall goal of this proposal is to develop an integrated first and last-mile network design framework applicable to all kinds of supply chains. Three research objectives are proposed RO1: to develop a first and last-mile distribution model with a strategic/tactical approach; RO2: to integrate the first and last-mile modeling with the MooV network design service from VITO; RO3: to analyze the effect of the integrated framework approach on supply chain decisions.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Gevaers Roel
- Co-promoter: Dewulf Wouter
- Fellow: Arévalo Ascanio Rafael
Research team(s)
Funding
- VL. INST.
Project website
Project type(s)
- Research Project