Title: The IBM advanced planning system for managing next generation demand-supply networks

Authors: Chi-Tai Wang, Kenneth Fordyce, R. John Milne, Robert Orzell

Addresses: IBM zip 958A, 1000 River Road, Essex Junction, VT 05452, USA. ' 227 Evergreen Lane, Hurley, NY 12443, USA. ' IBM zip 958A, 1000 River Road, Essex Junction, VT 05452, USA. ' IBM zip 958A, 1000 River Road, Essex Junction, VT 05452, USA

Abstract: IBM formed a team in the mid 1990s to develop a next generation demand-supply matching system. Using advanced heuristic algorithms and Linear Programming (LP), this team built a comprehensive system comprising solutions covering the complete spectrum of Supply Chain Planning (SCP). This system|s cutting edge innovations and tremendous business impact have generated dozens of intellectual properties and earned major awards in operations research achievement for IBM. Since 2005, this system has also become a daily solver at Analog Devices, Inc. IBM|s system fully supports a long term, incremental deployment of advanced SCP functions whenever needed with minimum effort required.

Keywords: supply chain planning; SCP; bills of materials; BOM; heuristic algorithms; linear programming; LP; IBM advanced planning; next generation demand-supply networks; supply chain management; SCM; logistics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISM.2008.016072

International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, 2008 Vol.4 No.1, pp.125 - 140

Published online: 05 Dec 2007 *

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