Title: Multi-agent modelling for simulation of customer-centric Supply Chain

Authors: Olivier Labarthe, Alain Ferrarini, Bernard Espinasse, Benoit Montreuil

Addresses: Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Information et des Systemes (LSIS), Universite Aix-Marseille III, 13397, Marseille, France. ' Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Information et des Systemes (LSIS), Universite Aix-Marseille III, 13397, Marseille, France. ' Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Information et des Systemes (LSIS), Universite Aix-Marseille III, 13397, Marseille, France. ' CENTOR, Network Organization Technology Research Center, Universite Laval, Pavillon Palasis Prince, Quebec, Qc G1K 7P4, Canada

Abstract: The analysis of coordination among the Supply Chain (SC) members is a key factor for improving its performance. The highly dynamic demand induced by the volatility of customers requires defining tools to improve the performance. This paper presents an agent-based modelling concept for simulation of customer-centric SC. We describe the specificities of such SCs at the enterprise modelling domain level and propose an approach permitting to explicitly take into account the customers and their behaviours. The approach uses three levels of modelling, successively leading to a domain model, a Conceptual Agent Model (CAM) and an Operational Agent Model (OAM). A case study from the personalised golf club industry illustrates the proposed approach.

Keywords: customer-centric supply chains; multi-agent systems; MAS; agent-oriented simulation; agent-based systems; multi-agent modelling; supply chain management; SCM; supply chain coordination; enterprise modelling; personalised golf clubs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPM.2006.012643

International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling, 2006 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.150 - 163

Published online: 05 Mar 2007 *

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