Optimize multiple stops

Can anyone help with a problem?

I have multiple stops to make, say about 5 a day / call it 100 month?

Is there any software (mappoint or otherwise) where I can enter all 100 stops, and it will plan a route each day.

Autoroute will optimise the stops but not let me return home each nightt. This is similar to the TSP, but it would be allowable to visit the same city twice if required (i.e if you pass through on the way to somewhere else)

This must be a common requirement? Is there a way to acheive it?

Hi Peterkk,

I've just sent you a private message: I think I can help you.


Richard

Hi,

please have a look at www.free-routing.com

Rainer

I have exactly the same problem. I'm using mappoint 2004 and Excel, nothing else. I made a excel sheet with customers who needs to be visited.
for example, in 1 week 30 costumers needs to be visited, I have their name, zipcode etc in an excel sheet. I use the import data wizard to load these customers into my Map I have created in Mappoint. then I use the route planning option to calculate the most efficient route.
I use my adress where I live as start point.
i set the start and end time of my driving day in the more route options, for example start driving at 8.00 and stop driving at 18.00

in the route schedule my last costumer who fits into the planning for 1 day is my last pushpin. day 2 starts at that pushpin.

But I want to add that mappoint calculates the way home, and use my home adress as the starting point for day 2, 3,4 and 5 So I can get 5 mini routes for all 5 days.


Paul

If you can wait a few weeks Paul, send me an email, or private message with your email; and I'll get back to you with what I'm doing and how I think I can help.



Richard

Thanks a lot, but I'm sorry, I can't wait a few weeks because it is an assesment for my education. I'm "working" at a company right now and I'm doing some research for them.
my assesment has to be ready in 4 weeks, so I don't have time to wait.

but they want to use mappoint only for creating routes.

little description:

that company has 4 salesmanager who are visiting consumers every day in the Netherlands.

I made a map of The netherlands and I created 4 territorys in Mappoint, 1 for each sales manager.

then I made a excel sheet with all costumers, their zipcode and territory etc.

so the only thing I want to do is:

1) import costumers who needs to be visited that week( per territory)
2) make a efficient route, the start and stop adress of every day is the adress of the sales manager.

this is a TSP isn't it?

Paul

yes, but if you only work with one salesperson at once, and already know which customers for that day's route, then MapPoint can do that out of the box.

The problem is the division of the customers into independent daily routes.


If the salesperson didn't have to go home each night, and remained on the road (eg. staying in hotels); then you could get MapPoint to optimize a route of all customers all at once.



Richard

yes I know already whick costumers needs to be visited, I work also with one person at once.
but the problem is that there are too many customers for 1 day. off course I can select a few customers for one day, and create a route so I can create 5 single routes. but that isn't the most efficient way to do it.

Now I have started using VRP from www.free-routing.com but I can't select planning per week, only per day, is this possible?