Finalization Type

The Finalization Type is a post-processing instruction that fine-tunes the exact scheduled time for a stop after the optimal route has already been determined.

It does not change the sequence of stops in a route, but it adjusts when a vehicle is scheduled to arrive at a node within its available time window. This allows planners to control for preferences like minimizing vehicle waiting time or prioritizing early arrivals.

This setting is applied on a per-node basis using the finalization_type property.

How Finalization Type Works

Once the optimization engine has found the most efficient sequence of stops for a vehicle, the finalization step adjusts the arrival times based on one of two settings:

• max: Schedule as late as possible. The optimizer pushes the scheduled arrival time to the latest possible moment within the node's time window.
• min: Schedule as early as possible. The optimizer sets the scheduled arrival time to the earliest possible moment.

Value for Planners and Impact on Routes

The finalization_type provides a powerful tool for planners to align route execution with specific business goals without altering the fundamental efficiency of the route itself.

• For Planners:

  • Minimize Slack: max is the key to reducing costly vehicle and driver idle time. It creates a more "just-in-time" schedule.
  • Improve Customer Service: min can be used to meet the expectations of customers who want their service as early as possible.
  • Operational Flexibility: It allows for fine-grained control over the schedule on a stop-by-stop basis.

• Impact on Routes:

  • No change in stop sequence: The actual path the vehicle takes remains the same.
  • Adjusts slack and arrival times: Its primary impact is redistributing slack within the route. It can shift waiting time from one stop to another or eliminate it entirely by scheduling a previous stop later.

A Concrete Example

Consider a single vehicle route with two drop-off stops:

• Stop A: Time Window from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
• Stop B: Time Window from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

The optimizer determines the best route is Depot -> Stop A -> Stop B.

• Travel time from Depot to Stop A is 30 minutes. Vehicle leaves depot at 8:30 AM.
• Earliest arrival at Stop A is 9:00 AM.
• Service at Stop A takes 15 minutes.
• Travel from Stop A to Stop B is 45 minutes.

Scenario 1: No Finalization (Default Behavior)

• Arrive at Stop A: 9:00 AM.
• Depart Stop A: 9:15 AM.
• Arrive at Stop B: 10:00 AM.
• Wait at Stop B: 60 minutes (until the 11:00 AM window opens). This is vehicle slack.

Scenario 2: finalization_type: "max" at Stop A

• The optimizer sees the 60-minute slack at Stop B.
• To minimize this slack, it pushes the schedule for Stop A later.
• New arrival at Stop A: 10:00 AM (the end of its window).
• Depart Stop A: 10:15 AM.
• New arrival at Stop B: 11:00 AM.
• Wait at Stop B: 0 minutes. The slack has been absorbed by arriving later at the earlier stop.

Scenario 3: finalization_type: "min" at Stop A

• The schedule would be the same as the default behavior. The vehicle arrives as early as it can.
• This would be useful if the customer at Stop A prefers the earliest possible delivery.

Example Configuration

Here is a JSON snippet for a node_scheduler request. In this example, the first dropoff node is set to max to minimize potential waiting time before the second stop.

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "uid": "f0de0001-2024-0731-88ad-05ddd46ce72d",
      "booking_uid": "b00c0000-2024-0421-0616-000000000001",
      "node_type": "dropoff",
      "lat": 1.280097,
      "lon": 103.889129,
      "open_time_ts": "2026-01-01T09:00:00+00:00",
      "close_time_ts": "2026-01-01T10:00:00+00:00",
      "service_time": 360,
      "demand": { "units": 10 },
      "finalization_type": "max"
    },
    {
      "uid": "f0de0001-2024-0731-88ad-05ddd46ce74d",
      "booking_uid": "b00c0000-2024-0421-0616-000000000002",
      "node_type": "dropoff",
      "lat": 1.290097,
      "lon": 103.989129,
      "open_time_ts": "2026-01-01T11:00:00+00:00",
      "close_time_ts": "2026-01-01T12:00:00+00:00",
      "service_time": 360,
      "demand": { "units": 10 }
    }
    // ... other nodes and vehicle configuration
  ]
}

Playground

You can experiment with the Finalization Type concept using the playground below. The example is set up with two drop-off nodes with a time gap between them.

• Try setting the finalization_type of the first drop-off node to "max" to see how it reduces the slack time at the second node.
• Then, change it to "min" to see the vehicle arriving as early as possible, resulting in a longer wait at the next stop.

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