Authors :
Michael Oppong; Mathias Vera; Paul Onyekwuluje
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/5b7h8xpm
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/yv7xy67s
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr477
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.
Abstract :
Last-mile delivery — the final leg from a Regional Distribution Center (RDC) to an individual store — represents
the costliest and most operationally complex segment of the retail supply chain, accounting for an estimated 41% of total
logistics expenditure in large-format retail. This study presents a predictive analytics and operations research framework,
implemented across six RDC regions using over 54 million rows of operational data, to simultaneously optimize delivery
routing, store-level product allocation, and compliance monitoring. The methodology integrates time-series forecasting, KMeans demand segmentation, linear programming (PuLP), and unsupervised anomaly detection (Isolation Forest, Z-score)
within a Google BigQuery data infrastructure, with results surfaced through Tableau and Power BI executive dashboards.
Keywords :
Last-Mile Delivery, Distribution Optimization, Linear Programming, K-Means Segmentation, Isolation Forest, Anomaly Detection, Supply Chain Compliance, U.S. Logistics Economics
References :
- Adewole, A., & Tettey, W. (2020). Anomaly detection in retail inventory management using machine learning. Journal of Retail Analytics, 14(2), 88–104.
- Aglin, G., Perakis, G., & Trichakis, N. (2020). Dynamic pricing and assortment under a contextual linear bandit demand model. Operations Research, 69(1), 126–142.
- Bertsimas, D., & Tsitsiklis, J. N. (1997). Introduction to Linear Optimization. Athena Scientific.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). (2023). Operations Research Analysts: Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Department of Labor.
- Chopra, S., & Meindl, P. (2016). Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation (6th ed.). Pearson.
- Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). (2023). State of Logistics Report. CSCMP Research.
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- Department of Transportation (DOT). (2022). National Freight Strategic Plan: Last-Mile and Urban Logistics. U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
- Federal Reserve Board. (2023). Supply Chain Distortion and Core Goods Inflation: A Decomposition. Finance and Economics Discussion Series.
- Gevaers, R., Van de Voorde, E., & Vanelslander, T. (2011). Characteristics and typology of last-mile logistics. Nectar Logistics, 8, 2–12.
- IHL Group. (2023). Retail's $1.77 Trillion Inventory Distortion Problem. IHL Research Report.
- Liu, F. T., Ting, K. M., & Zhou, Z.-H. (2008). Isolation Forest. Proceedings of the 8th IEEE International Conference on Data Mining, 413–422.
- Makridakis, S., Spiliotis, E., & Assimakopoulos, V. (2018). Statistical and Machine Learning Forecasting Methods: Concerns and Ways Forward. PLOS ONE, 13(3).
- National Retail Federation (NRF). (2024). Retail Security Survey and Annual Sales Data. NRF Research Center.
- White House. (2021). Building Resilient Supply Chains, Revitalizing American Manufacturing, and Fostering Broad-Based Growth. 100-Day Review Report. Executive Office of the President.
Last-mile delivery — the final leg from a Regional Distribution Center (RDC) to an individual store — represents
the costliest and most operationally complex segment of the retail supply chain, accounting for an estimated 41% of total
logistics expenditure in large-format retail. This study presents a predictive analytics and operations research framework,
implemented across six RDC regions using over 54 million rows of operational data, to simultaneously optimize delivery
routing, store-level product allocation, and compliance monitoring. The methodology integrates time-series forecasting, KMeans demand segmentation, linear programming (PuLP), and unsupervised anomaly detection (Isolation Forest, Z-score)
within a Google BigQuery data infrastructure, with results surfaced through Tableau and Power BI executive dashboards.
Keywords :
Last-Mile Delivery, Distribution Optimization, Linear Programming, K-Means Segmentation, Isolation Forest, Anomaly Detection, Supply Chain Compliance, U.S. Logistics Economics