53,725 research outputs found
Modelling an End to End Supply Chain system Using Simulation
Within the current uncertain environment industries are predominantly faced with various challenges
resulting in greater need for skilled management and adequate technique as well as tools to manage
Supply Chains (SC) efficiently. Derived from this observation is the need to develop a generic/reusable
modelling framework that would allow firms to analyse their operational performance over time (Mackulak
and Lawrence 1998, Beamon and Chen 2001, Petrovic 2001, Lau et al. 2008, Khilwani et al. 2011, Cigollini et
al. 2014). However for this to be effectively managed the simulation modelling efforts should be directed
towards identifying the scope of the SC and the key processes performed between players.
Purpose: The research attempts to analyse trends in the field of supply chain modelling using simulation
and provide directions for future research by reviewing existing Operations Research/Operations
Management (OR/OM) literature. Structural and operational complexities as well as different business
processes within various industries are often limiting factors during modelling efforts. Successively, this
calls for the end to end (E2E) SC modelling framework where the generic processes, related policies and
techniques could be captured and supported by the powerful capabilities of simulation.
Research Approach: Following Mitroff’s (1974) scientific inquiry model and Sargent (2011) this research will
adopt simulation methodology and focus on systematic literature review in order to establish generic OR
processes and differentiate them from those which are specific to certain industries. The aim of the
research is provide a clear and informed overview of the existing literature in the area of supply chain
simulation. Therefore through a profound examination of the selected studies a conceptual model will be
design based on the selection of the most commonly used SC Processes and simulation techniques used
within those processes. The description of individual elements that make up SC processes (Hermann and
Pundoor 2006) will be defined using building blocks, which are also known as Process Categories.
Findings and Originality: This paper presents an E2E SC simulation conceptual model realised through
means of systematic literature review. Practitioners have adopted the term E2E SC while this is not
extensively featured within academic literature. The existing SC studies lack generality in regards to
capturing the entire SC within one methodological framework, which this study aims to address.
Research Impact: A systematic review of the supply chain and simulation literature takes an integrated and
holistic assessment of an E2E SC, from market-demand scenarios through order management and planning
processes, and on to manufacturing and physical distribution. Thus by providing significant advances in
understanding of the theory, methods used and applicability of supply chain simulation, this paper will
further develop a body of knowledge within this subject area.
Practical Impact: The paper will empower practitioners’ knowledge and understanding of the supply chain
processes characteristics that can be modelled using simulation. Moreover it will facilitate a selection of
specific data required for the simulation in accordance to the individual needs of the industry
B2C Mass Customization in the Classroom
The purpose of this article is to describe an internet-based mass customization assignment in Operations Management/Supply Chain Management classes where students utilize the Web site of a company that offers a customized product. Students evaluate the user interface, judge the value proposition of the product they demonstrate, and discuss issues of product design, process design and scheduling, inventory management, Supply Chain Management, marketing, and competitors. The students learn about mass customization from both the producer\u27s perspective and the consumer\u27s perspective. Through their own research and the class presentations students are able to develop a better understanding of the implementation requirements and challenges of mass customization. The assignment is highly interactive and has been successfully used in Operations Management and Supply Chain Management courses at under-graduate and graduate levels and at multiple universities. In addition, practitioners interested in implementing a mass customization process can use the assignment as a brainstorming or benchmarking exercise
Practices for strategic capacity management in Malaysian manufacturing firms
While the notion of manufacturing capabilities is a long-standing notion in research on operations management, its actual implementation and management has been hardly researched. Five case studies in Malaysia offered the opportunity to examine the practice of manufacturing managers with regard to strategic capability management. The data collection and analysis was structured by using the notion of Strategic Capacity Management. Whereas traditionally literature has demonstrated the beneficial impact of an appropriate manufacturing strategy on the business strategy and performance, the study highlights the difficulty of managers to set the strategy, let alone implementing it. This is partly caused by the immense pressure of customers in these dominantly Make-To-Order environments for SMEs. Current concepts for manufacturing capabilities have insufficiently accounted this phenomenon and an outline of a research agenda is presented
A multi-agent platform for auction-based allocation of loads in transportation logistics
This paper describes an agent-based platform for the allocation of loads in distributed transportation logistics, developed as a collaboration between CWI, Dutch National Center for Mathematics and Computer Science, Amsterdam and Vos Logistics Organizing, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The platform follows a real business scenario proposed by Vos, and it involves a set of agents bidding for transportation loads to be distributed from a central depot in the Netherlands to different locations across Germany. The platform supports both human agents (i.e. transportation planners), who can bid through specialized planning and bidding interfaces, as well as automated, software agents. We exemplify how the proposed platform can be used to test both the bidding behaviour of human logistics planners, as well as the performance of automated auction bidding strategies, developed for such settings. The paper first introduces the business problem setting and then describes the architecture and main characteristics of our auction platform. We conclude with a preliminary discussion of our experience from a human bidding experiment, involving Vos planners competing for orders both against each other and against some (simple) automated strategies
Multi crteria decision making and its applications : a literature review
This paper presents current techniques used in Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and their applications. Two basic approaches for MCDM, namely Artificial Intelligence MCDM (AIMCDM) and Classical MCDM (CMCDM) are discussed and investigated. Recent articles from international journals related to MCDM are collected and analyzed to find which approach is more common than the other in MCDM. Also, which area these techniques are applied to. Those articles are appearing in journals for the year 2008 only. This paper provides evidence that currently, both AIMCDM and CMCDM are equally common in MCDM
An application of hybrid life cycle assessment as a decision support framework for green supply chains
In an effort to achieve sustainable operations, green supply chain management has become an important area for firms to concentrate on due to its inherent involvement with all the processes that provide foundations to successful business. Modelling methodologies of product supply chain environmental assessment are usually guided by the principles of life cycle assessment (LCA). However, a review of the extant literature suggests that LCA techniques suffer from a wide range of limitations that prevent a wider application in real-world contexts; hence, they need to be incorporated within decision support frameworks to aid environmental sustainability strategies. Thus, this paper contributes in understanding and overcoming the dichotomy between LCA model development and the emerging practical implementation to inform carbon emissions mitigation strategies within supply chains. Therefore, the paper provides both theoretical insights and a practical application to inform the process of adopting a decision support framework based on a LCA methodology in a real-world scenario. The supply chain of a product from the steel industry is considered to evaluate its environmental impact and carbon ‘hotspots’. The study helps understanding how operational strategies geared towards environmental sustainability can be informed using knowledge and information generated from supply chain environmental assessments, and for highlighting inherent challenges in this process
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