A Decentralized Allocation Algorithm for Distributed Supply Chains with Critical Tasks

Abstract This paper considers the problem of allocating tasks to a network of interconnected nodes in a supply chain, considering functional heterogeneity, resource constraints, and critical tasks whose assignment has to be considered mandatory. The proposed approach is an auction-based algorithm which uses a consensus algorithm to obtain a conflict-free solution fulfilling all the constraints. Numerical simulations and a comparison with a centralized optimization algorithm are performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

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