In the contemporary global market, managing the entire supply chain has become crucial for competitive advantage in different industries. However, the realization and success of supply chain management (SCM) depends significantly on the previous supply chain modeling and simulation for analyzing complex systems.
This study develops a modular approach for system analysis and design of supply chain simulation, which is capable of modeling the supply chain process and the operation of related communication data and information through XML techniques and simulating them within the SIMAN simulation tool. This study performs the following tasks: (i) characterizing supply chain process and establishing data/information elements, (ii) establishing knowledge requirements for supply chain process, (iii) analyzing and designing supply chain process modules, (iv) representing and integrating specifications of supply chain process modules, and (v) generating and demonstrating modular supply chain simulation.
The results of this study can be used to develop a modular system analysis and design for supply chain simulation for effectively assisting the integration of SCM and the exchange of related communication data and information in a supply chain, thus increasing business efficiency.
Rapid change, globalization, and competition in the business environment have forced more and more enterprises to adopt supply chain management (SCM) to effectively integrate both external and internal resources, and accordingly to boost business competence and efficiency. The alignment of internal resources and the appropriate linkage for connecting suppliers and customers have become the key in responding to rapidly changing market demands.
SCM attempts to efficiently integrate suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, and stores, so that merchandise is produced and distributed in the right quantities, to the right locations, and at the right time. In doing so, system-wide costs can be minimized, while providing satisfactory service level [1]. To optimize SCM performance, supply chain functions must operate in a tightly coordinated manner. However, the dynamics of an enterprise and the market require flexible responses and adaptations that have local and global effects on supply chain entities. To successfully realize such coordinated structures, modeling with simulation for integrating supply chain and exchanging communication data and information, as well as the use of knowledge of supply chain has become an extremely important approach in supply chain simulation.
Recent developments in supply chain simulation share the common objective of optimizing supply chain system operation. Numerous studies on supply chain simulation have analyzed complex supply chain systems [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8] and [9]. However, this study failed to find a convenient method and effective module for modeling and simulating the supply chain process and the operation of communication data, information and knowledge of supply chain with the SIMAN simulation tool. This situation causes a phenomenon for the development effect of supply chain simulation is limited.
This study presents a modular approach for the system analysis and design of supply chain simulation using NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) XML simulation interface specification, and attempts to apply knowledge level to enhance this specification. Moreover, the simulation tool SIMAN and computer program language C++ are used to develop a generator of modular supply chain simulation, and thus to demonstrate the results of this study.
This study aims to achieve the following: (i) characterize supply chain process and establish data/information element, (ii) establish knowledge requirements for supply chain process, (iii) analyze and design supply chain process module, (iv) represent and integrate specifications of supply chain process modules, and (v) generate and demonstrate modular supply chain simulation.
This study presented a systematic approach to developing a modular system analysis and design for supply chain simulation, which included (i) characterizing supply chain process and establishing data/information elements, (ii) establishing knowledge requirements for supply chain process, (iii) analyzing and designing the supply chain process module, (iv) representing and integrating specifications of supply chain process modules, and (v) generating and demonstrating modular supply chain simulation.
Besides presenting the systematic steps for developing an XML-based modular system analysis and design for supply chain simulation, the proposed XML-based modular system analysis and design for supply chain simulation and the implemented XML-based simulation model generator possess the characteristics of modularity, expandability, and flexibility in addition to: (1) providing a simple and convenient XML-based editing method to effectively modeling supply chain processes and supply chain communication data and information, (2) offering an exchangeable simulation model that can be simulated at any place located by supply chain members and which has a SIMAN simulation tool, and (3) possessing applicability to many business supply chain simulations, including manufacturing, retail, etc.
The results of this study can realize an XML-based modular system analysis and design for supply chain simulation, thus establishing and simulating various supply chain states/models by integrating different SCM modules and exchanging relevant communication data and information, to provide the decision maker an optimal supply chain reference model, ultimately reducing operation cost and time of business.
