Research on Optimizing Meal Delivery Platforms Published in "Management Science"

We are proud to announce that a paper co-authored by Prof. Arne Strauss, titled "Integrated Fleet and Demand Control for On-Demand Meal Delivery Platforms," has been accepted for publication in Management Science, the flagship journal published by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), USA.

In this work, Florentin Hildebrandt, Ziga Lesjak, Prof Arne Strauss and Prof Marlin Ulmer explore how on-demand meal delivery platforms can optimize operations to benefit customers, delivery couriers, and partner restaurants. The study focuses on two key control mechanisms: fleet control (assigning orders to couriers) and demand control (influencing customer choices by optimizing restaurant display positions on the platform). By analyzing historical customer interactions and using advanced reinforcement learning techniques, the research demonstrates the significant impact of integrating these two approaches.

Key findings reveal that integrated fleet and demand control can:

• Reduce delivery delays and improve meal freshness.
• Increase service capacity per courier while reducing travel time.
• Ensure fair visibility for all partner restaurants.
• Enhance service quality and platform revenue without operational disruptions.

The study also underscores the risks of selling display positions, which may lead to inefficiencies and delays in the delivery process.

This work highlights the potential of data-driven decision-making to transform the on-demand delivery industry, improving outcomes for all stakeholders involved.