Computer-aided Methodology for Collaborative Negotiation Between a Manufacturer and Its Parts Suppliers

A manufacturer and its suppliers within a supply chain cooperate closely,but conflicts or disputes occur between them sometimes and need to be solved through negotiations.The features of the negotiations were analyzed and a computer-aided collaborative negotiation methodology was used to facilitate the negotiations.The preference functions of the negotiators on the negotiated issues were obtained and the settlement points that maximize the sum of utilities of the negotiators were suggested to them.Based on the suggestion,they can reach a better agreement through a faster procedure.An example of the negotiation between a manufacturer and its supplier was given to illustrate the method.