D3S: Decision support system for sectorization

Abstract

Sectorization problems refer to dividing a large set, area, or network into smaller parts concerning one or more objectives. A decision support system (DSS) is a relevant tool for solving these problems, improving optimisation procedures, and finding feasible solutions more efficiently. This paper presents a new web-based Decision Support System for Sectorization (D3S). D3S is designed to solve sectorization problems in various areas, such as school and health districting, designing sales territories and maintenance operation zones, or political districting. D3S bridges the gap between sectorization problems and a state-of-the-art decision support tool due to its broad design. The paper aims to present generic and technical attributes of D3S by providing detailed information regarding the problem-solution approach (based on Evolutionary Algorithms), objectives (most common in sectorization), constraints, structure, and performance.