Title: A simulation- and optimisation-based decision support system for an uncertain supply chain in a dairy firm

Authors: Weiqi Li, Fang Zhang, Ming Jiang

Addresses: School of Management, University of Michigan – Flint, 303 East Kearsley Street, Flint, MI 48502, USA. ' SimuModel, Inc., 177 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, PRC. ' School of Management, Shangdong Jianzhu University, Quangang Road, Jinan, PRC

Abstract: Supply Chain Management (SCM) refers to the problems where the decisions of supply, production and demand are integrated in a single framework. A typical supply chain faces uncertainty in terms of supply, production and demand. Therefore, SCM is largely about managing uncertainty and risks. This paper introduces a simulation- and optimisation-based decision support system that helps the scheduler in a dairy firm to schedule milk tankers and production in order to (1) meet the market demand, (2) minimise the difference between supply and demand, and (3) minimise the overall trip cost for collecting raw milk from milk farmers.

Keywords: decision support systems; DSS; supply chain management; SCM; milk tanker scheduling; simulation; optimisation; uncertainty; risk management; dairy industry; milk farmers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2008.016585

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2008 Vol.3 No.2, pp.183 - 200

Published online: 11 Jan 2008 *

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