TL;DR
Three-sided marketplaces face challenges in optimizing dispatch decisions due to delayed feedback on operational outcomes. A reinforcement learning system was developed at DoorDash to adapt dispatch objective weights using delayed signals, employing a store-level policy that selects multipliers for the dispatch optimizer.
✦ Why It Matters
Engineers can leverage delayed feedback in reinforcement learning to optimize decision-making in complex marketplaces.
Key Takeaways
How It Works
The system adapts dispatch objective weights by selecting a multiplier that adjusts the tradeoff between delivery quality and batching efficiency. It uses a centralized value function trained on historical data, allowing for offline learning despite the noisy and delayed nature of marketplace feedback.
Related