A hybrid framework for fleet management with quality concerns: a case for the food industry

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to propose a framework for fleet management and make suitable distribution solution choices in the food industry. 

Design/methodology/approach: This study reviews the literature to examine food distribution criteria. These criteria are used in the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) assessment and combined with discrete events simulation in a structured framework, which is validated through an empirical study. 

Findings: The empirical case results demonstrate that both the AHP and discrete events simulation converge toward the same solution in most cases. 

Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on distribution management and develops a framework that can both guide future research and aid logistics practitioners in analysing distribution decision-making systems in dynamic environments.