A service-oriented framework for agent-based simulations of collaborative supply chains

Abstract

Current collaborative practices of supply chain management are limited to some known configurations where a dominant member sets the pace for the collaboration extent. Extending collaborative models to supply chains without a dominant member requires defining a fair assessment of costs and benefits and how they are distributed among members. To understand collaborative models and their mechanisms, simulation-based approaches are recommended as they can afford the complexity of real scenarios. However, building ad-hoc simulation models for studying complex supply chain interactions can be prohibitive in terms of both cost and time. Therefore, the availability of simulation frameworks, to be used easily by business managers and facilitating the development of those models, has a strong incentive in the quest of current business efforts to increase their supply chain performance. The objective of this work is to present a systematic and reusable serviceoriented framework for agent based simulation to support the analysis of collaborative interactions in supply chains. Results of a requirement analysis performed to this aim are described, and the fulfillment of identified requirements by the proposed framework, and capabilities thereof, are discussed.