{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,29]],"date-time":"2025-12-29T11:09:49Z","timestamp":1767006589179,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]],"date-time":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1626998400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/04752\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04752\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Mathematics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper presents a study on the complexity of cargo arrangements in the pallet loading problem. Due to the diversity of perspectives that have been presented in the literature, complexity is one of the least studied practical constraints. In this work, we aim to refine and propose a new set of metrics to measure the complexity of an arrangement of cargo in a pallet. The parameters are validated using statistical methods, such as principal component analysis and multiple linear regression, using data retrieved from the company logistics. Our tests show that the number of boxes was the main variable responsible for explaining complexity in the pallet loading problem.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/math9151742","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]],"date-time":"2021-07-23T10:31:44Z","timestamp":1627036304000},"page":"1742","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Complexity Constraint in the Distributor\u2019s Pallet Loading Problem"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"given":"Hugo","family":"Barros","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Research & Development in Mechanical Engineering (CIDEM), School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Teresa","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Research & Development in Mechanical Engineering (CIDEM), School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management (INEGI), School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0885-7792","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio G.","family":"Ramos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC-TEC), School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1335-7821","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernanda A.","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Applied Management Research Unit (UNIAG), School of Hospitality and Tourism, Polytechnic of Porto, 4480-876 Vila do Conde, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,23]]},"reference":[{"doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Accorsi, R., Baruffaldi, G., Manzini, R., and Pini, C. 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