System and Method of Prepack Configuration Planning for Distributing Items

A method for prepack configuration for one or more retailers, comprising:

• receiving, by a computer comprising a processor and memory, demand data, factors and constraints data from the one or more retailers to determine an initial prepack configuration;
• generating and solving, by the computer, a mixed integer problem model, wherein the mixed integer problem model comprises a problem for determining a prepack;
• in response to a stop criteria not being met, using, by the computer, the solution of the mixed integer problem model to select, combine and mutate the initial prepack configuration;
• adding, by the computer, the mutated initial prepack solution to the mixed integer problem model;
• and
• in response to the stop criteria being met, generating, by the computer, a prepack solution.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising software for prepack configuration for one or more retailers, the software when executed configured to:

• receive demand data, factors and constraints data from the one or more retailers to determine an initial prepack configuration;
• generate and solve a mixed integer problem model, wherein the mixed integer problem model comprises a problem for determining a prepack;
• in response to a stop criteria not being met, use the solution of the mixed integer problem model to select, combine and mutate the initial prepack configuration;
• add the mutated initial prepack solution to the mixed integer problem model;
• and
• in response to the stop criteria being met, generate a prepack solution.