Resumo:
With the advancement of technologies and the spread of the internet around the world,
there was a strong expansion of negotiations carried out through electronic commerce in
all areas. Consequently, there is a growth in the flow of logistical operations that are
responsible for the delivery of products acquired through this means, causing problems
related to the transport of these goods to appear. Among the transport problems caused
in the last stage of the distribution chain, known as the last mile, or last mile, we can
highlight: failure to deliver products, excessive travel, high operating costs, poorly sized
transport resources, etc. . Therefore, research in the area evaluates possibilities to
alleviate these difficulties in cargo distribution so that logistical operations are more
efficient and offer a good level of service to its users. An alternative that has been used
in different regions of the world for this purpose are collection and delivery points,
which are stations where customers pick up their products purchased over the internet
on their own. Collection and delivery points (PCE's) can be automated, known as
Delivery Lockers (DL), or not. The literature indicates that one of the difficulties
encountered in installing DL's is knowing how to define which location will best serve
consumers in each specific region. Therefore, this study aimed to propose suitable
locations for the installation of DL's in a medium-sized city in Minas Gerais, as well as
to analyze which are the most influential factors for the use of these devices according
to the opinion of the local consumer. It was observed that the opening hours, distance
from central regions and the safety of these operations are the main factors mentioned
by consumers. A multicriteria mathematical model based on the AHP method was
developed to help choose the establishments that would best meet the evaluated criteria.
It was concluded that several scenarios can satisfy the problem, however those that
presented alternatives that are located in central regions or in small commercial centers
were preferred by the model. Establishments that work outside conventional hours, such
as supermarkets and hypermarkets, were positive highlights in the analyzed scenarios,
unlike bank branches, which did not show good results due to their limited space and
hours. Finally, it is noted that the use of DL's is also valid for medium-sized cities,
however, for this to work effectively, it is ideal that e-commerce users are aware of the
benefits that this practice can bring, both in financial and operational terms.