The two-dimensional vehicle routing problem (2L-VRP) is a realistic extension of the classical vehicle routing problem where customers’ demands are composed by sets of non-stackable items. Examples of such problems can be found in many real-life applications, e.g. furniture or industrial machinery transportation. …

Simulation transparency is becoming more crucial in the decision making process when quantitative computer tools are used to justify some strategies.

Flexible production units provide very efficient mechanisms to adapt the type and production rate according to fluctuations in demand. The optimal sequence of the different manufacturing tasks in each machine is a challenging problem that can deal with important productivity benefits.