Toward a methodological framework for agent-based modelling and simulation of supply chains in a mass customization context

Authored by Olivier Labarthe, Bernard Espinasse, Alain Ferrarini, Benoit Montreuil

Date Published: 2007-02

DOI: 10.1016/j.simpat.2006.09.014

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: Java

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

In a dynamic customer-centric supply chain context, classic forecasting models turn out to have a limited applicability. In order to estimate the key performance indices of these Supply Chains and to facilitate their management, it is necessary to use more elaborate tools such as a simulation. However building simulation of customer-centric supply chains is no trivial matter. It requires the elaboration of a representative model and the execution of this model according to a set of hypotheses associated to scenarios. Due to their properties, Multi-Agent Systems seem particularly well suited for the modelling and the simulation of Supply Chains and more especially in a mass customization context. In this paper we propose an agent modelling framework for the modelling and simulation of such Supply Chains to facilitate their management. We show how this framework can be applied to a case of customer-centric Supply Chain from the golf club industry and we present an experiment plan associated. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tags

agent-based simulation Supply chain Multi-agent system mass customization methodological framework