A Multi-Agent Framework for Modeling Supply Chain Dynamics

Globalization of economy and increase in customer expectations in terms of cost and services have put a premium on effective supply chain re-engineering. As a result, decision support systems that can facilitate these efforts are in great demand. In this paper, we iden- tify essential elements that are required for modeling supply chains and embed them in a multi-agent framework. Our framework uses simulation analysis and provides a platform for rapidly devel- oping customized decision support tools for different supply chain problems with limited additional effort. A subset of concepts from this framework is being utilized by IBM for making supply chain re-engineering decisions.

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