Multi-objective integrated production and distribution planning of perishable products

Integrated production and distribution planning have received a lot of attention throughout the years and its economic advantages are well documented. However, for highly perishable products this integrated approach has to include, further than the economic aspects, the intangible value of freshness. We explore, through a multi-objective framework, the advantages of integrating these two intertwined planning problems at an operational level. We formulate models for the case where perishable goods have a fixed and a loose shelf-life (i.e. with and without a best-before-date). The results show that the economic benefits derived from using an integrated approach are much dependent on the freshness level of products delivered. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.