Heuristic Optimization Model for the Sales Promoter Allocation and Routing

This study proposes a heuristic optimization model for the allocation and routing of sales
promoters in retail operations. The problem consists of assigning stores to promoters and defining
efficient daily visitation routes while satisfying operational constraints such as working-hour limits,
service frequency, and workload balance. An exact Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP)
model was initially developed for small instances; however, due to computational limitations, a
three-stage heuristic approach was proposed for larger scenarios. The method combines weighted
K-Means clustering, weekly scheduling, and daily route optimization. Computational experiments
show that the heuristic produces high-quality solutions with low overtime and reduced computa-
tional time, demonstrating its effectiveness as a decision-support tool for field sales management.