Optimización de cronograma de distribución semanal para una empresa de alimentos artesanales en la provincia del Guayas

Abstract

This study addresses the distribution problem of an artisanal coconut-based food company. Due to the absence of preservatives in its products and the limited refrigerated capacity at retail outlets, replenishment visits with specific frequencies and time windows must be scheduled. The objective is to schedule and optimize distribution routes, improving efficiency in comparison with the company’s current empirical scheme and providing a tool for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in similar contexts. The methodology was implemented through a hybrid algorithm in two phases: assigning customers to visit days and routing each daily plan. Computational experiments were conducted by varying parameters such as the maximum number of customers and the number of geographic clusters. Solutions were analyzed using filters based on the company’s real operational context to identify the most suitable scenario for comparison with the current situation. The selected solution reduces travel times and distances while meeting operational guidelines and constraints. Thus, this route-planning methodology offers a reliable, replicable, and scalable approach for companies with analogous distribution processes. Keywords: Customer scheduling, Route optimization, Logistics, Point-of-sale distribution, Hybrid algorithm.