Location-Routing Problems: A Review of Concepts, Models, Methods and Research Gaps

Abstract

A location-routing problem is a kind of location problem with the routing aspects. Although the basic idea of simultaneously solving the two problems started on 1961, and it has been done a lot of researches on this issue, but a comprehensive review of the problem literature in this paper, has identified research gaps, which indicates the potentiality of this problem in new studies. This paper surveys 303 related published researches. in which the large number of survey focuses on the location-routing problem in different periods, in this research, based on a comprehensive review of the problem definition, it is studied the different aspects and indexes, type of LRPs, type of objectives, categories of LRPs and solution methods with the authors' proposed reforms. Finally, research gaps and recommendations for future studies are explained.