An Industrial Application of Modified Clarke & Wright Algorithm

Clarke & Wright algorithm is a well-known algorithm for Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). Using this algorithm one can find the best possible route for fleet allocation and movement by calculating distances from the home position to all points; distances between points; and then calculating the savings factor from the calculated values. We modified this algorithm for finding the best possible path for spot allocation for robotic path in an Indian firm under certain constraints. This resulted in measurement of lesser number of distances and lesser time as compared to the basic algorithm while arriving at the same result. The major contribution of this paper is description of a real-life industrial application of a modified form of Clarke & Wright Algorithm. We describe the basic algorithm and related literature, including solution methodologies and potential applications; develop the modified algorithm and finally describe the results of actual industrial application along with concomitant benefits