Redesign of the supply of mobile mechanics based on a novel genetic optimization algorithm using Google Maps API

If a mobile mechanic has to travel for material, productive time is lost. This paper presents a novel method to reduce activities regarding material handling with extending of serving locations. The design of the supply system can be considered as a complex combinatorial optimization problem, where the goal is to find a route plan with minimal route cost, which services all the demands from the central warehouses while satisfying the capacity and other constraints. We present a multi-chromosome technique for solving the multiple Traveling Salesman Problem (mTSP). The new operators based on a problem-specific representation proved to be more effective in terms of flexibility, complexity and transparency, and also in efficiency than the previous methods. The proposed optimization algorithm was implemented in MATLAB and integrated with Google Maps to provide a complete framework for distance calculation, definition of the initial routes, and visualization. This integrated framework was successfully applied in the solution of a real logistic problem, in the supply of mobile mechanics at one of Hungary’s biggest energy providers.