| Abstract: | Outbound logistical systems that are designed with the flexibility to perform daily reoptimization of delivery routes are often touted as the systems of choice in dealing with randomly fluctuating (stochastic) customer demands. However, a potential drawback with such systems is that the day‐to‐day changes in the delivery routes force each driver to traverse routes that extend beyond the region required if customer demands remained stable. That is, the efficient completion of deliveries under route reoptimization imposes an additional requirement on drivers to learn these routes. Quantification and analysis of this additional learning requirement, along with some of the associated human resource management implications, comprise the paper's primary focus. A key contribution of the research is that the analysis accounts for the cost‐effectiveness of a vehicle routing tactic that might be used to reduce the learning burden. |
