Reorganizing postal collection operations in urban areas as a result of declining mail volumes – A case study in Bologna

Bruno, Giuseppe; Cavola, Manuel; Diglio, Antonio; Laporte, Gilbert; Piccolo, Carmela

doi:10.1080/01605682.2020.1736446

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The redesign of a postal network in terms of collection postboxes was discussed by Bruno et al [19,20]. Those authors provide an interesting approach to postal box network design based on two orientations: the postal service provider and the postal service user.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining Optimal Locations of Postal Access Points Based on Simulated Annealing

Mostarac

Kavran

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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The development of a sustainable postal system depends on the sustainability of its postal network, especially the organization of the postal access points. Postal service providers around the world face great challenges due to changes in the service trends and in consumer behavior. In this paper, the authors argue the importance of the postal network and its significance in rural areas. Methodologies including advanced search algorithms such as brute force and simulated annealing are proposed for best determining the possible locations of postal access points with no or minimal decrease in service accessibility. To the best of our knowledge, these algorithms are scarcely used for determining postal service accessibility. The results show that the decline of the postal office could significantly affect service accessibility. An analysis of the numbers of access points and their impacts on the postal network is provided, as well as the scenario of an additional access point. This methodology could help postal service providers to better plan network organization and resources. For service users, the application of the methodology adds to better service accessibility that considers the distances traveled.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining Optimal Locations of Postal Access Points Based on Simulated Annealing

Mostarac

Kavran

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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“…The best-known application is the design of political districts (see, e.g., Bozkaya et al 2003), but logistics applications are also common. These include the design of sales territories (Skiera and Albers 1998, Drexl and Haase 1999, Lei et al 2015) and distribution management applications, for example those encountered in mail delivery systems (Rosenfield et al 1992, Novaes et al 2000, Bruno et al 2019. Fixed districts ensure regional consistency and facilitate delivery operations (see Section 2.4).…”

Section: Routing and Districtingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A concise guide to existing and emerging vehicle routing problem variants

Vidal

Laporte

Matl

2020

European Journal of Operational Research

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234

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“…e redesign of postal networks has been the object of attention in recent years. Mathematical models were developed to analyze cost efficiency [17] and optimize network replanning decisions, i.e., postbox locations [1,2]. e urban post office relocation problem was modeled byŠarac et al [18] who used a set covering location problem (SCLP) to determine the minimum number of permanent post offices required for providing a certain level of service.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years, with the rapid development and increasing use of computer technologies, the traditional postal service system has experienced significant changes in order to better satisfy customer demand and to survive in a more competitive market [1,2]. e wide adoption of digitalization and information and communication technology (ICT) across businesses, public sectors, and individuals has led to two major challenges in the postal service system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…e wide adoption of digitalization and information and communication technology (ICT) across businesses, public sectors, and individuals has led to two major challenges in the postal service system. On the one hand, customer demand for traditional letter delivery services has declined drastically due to the extensive use of electronic platforms, e.g., e-mail and digital mailboxes [1,3]. However, on the other hand, the technological development has also altered customer behavior, and the customer demand fulfilled by online channels has increased unprecedentedly [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Solving a Real-World Urban Postal Service System Redesign Problem

Sun

Solvang

et al. 2021

Scientific Programming

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Due to recent technological advancements, more diversified customer demand, and increasingly harder competition, traditional postal service systems have experienced significant changes all over the world. In Norway, through a strategic reform called post-in-shop, undertaken in 2013, most postal services are now provided at postal service counters located in retailer stores in order to improve accessibility, operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This has led to a complex decision-making problem for the redesign of urban postal service networks across the country. In this paper, a two-stage method is proposed to solve a real-world urban postal service network redesign problem. First, two location models are employed to determine the optimal locations of postal service counters. In the second stage, a simulation model is built to evaluate the urban postal service system with different location and demand allocation plans under a realistic and stochastic environment. Among other insights, our results show that the proposed two-stage method can be used to effectively improve the accessibility of postal service networks by making optimal location-allocation decisions.

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Reorganizing postal collection operations in urban areas as a result of declining mail volumes – A case study in Bologna

Cited by 13 publications

References 32 publications

Determining Optimal Locations of Postal Access Points Based on Simulated Annealing

Determining Optimal Locations of Postal Access Points Based on Simulated Annealing

A concise guide to existing and emerging vehicle routing problem variants

Solving a Real-World Urban Postal Service System Redesign Problem

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