Localização de delivery lockers para logística urbana em uma cidade brasileira de porte médio: o caso de Divinópolis, Minas Gerais

Abstract

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.