GRIDS-SCF: An Infrastructure for Distributed Supply Chain Simulation

Abstract

Within the context of supply chain simulation, this paper introduces the generic runtime infrastructure for distributed simulation as a novel infrastructure for distributed supply chain simulation that promotes user transparency and extensible service provision. These are discussed with regard to a distributed simulation of a supply chain model (federation) GRIDS-SCF and a case study on supply chain simulation from the automotive industry. The main aim of this work is to provide industry with a business benefit from distributed simulation by making it possible to connect and reuse previously developed models in a supply chain while minimizing technological intervention (additional technological skills required) with the end user simulationist. It is suggested that this approach may pave the way for distributed supply chain simulation that emphasizes simulation methodology rather than technology.

Keywords

Supply chain simulation distributed simulation manufacturing simulation High-Level Architecture GRIDS

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

European Commission . 1997. Impact on competition and scale effects: Economies of scale. London: The Single Market Review, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

Masten, S. E. , J. W. Meehan Jr. , and E. A. Snyder . 1991. The cost of organisation. Journal of Law, Economics, and Organisation 7 (1): 1-25.

Archibald, G. , N. Karabakal , and P. Karlsson . 1999. Supply chain vs. supply chain: Using simulation to compete beyond the four walls. Proceedings of the 1999 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 1207-1214.

Swain, J. J. 2001. Power tools for visualization and decision-making. OR/MS Today 28 (1): 52-63.

Ziegler, B. P. , D. Kim , and S. J. Buckley . 1999. Distributed supply chain simulation in a DEVS/CORBA execution environment. Proceedings of the 1999 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 1333-1340.

Turner, S. J. , W. Cai , and B. P. Gan . 2000. Adapting a supply chain simulation for HLA. Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Distributed Simulation and Real Time Applications, pp. 71-78.

Gan, B. P. , L. Liu , S. Jain , S. J. Turner , W. Cai , and W. Hsu . 2000. Distributed supply chain simulation across enterprise boundaries. Proceedings of the 2000 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 1245-1251.

McLean, C. , and F. Riddick . 2000. The IMS mission architecture for distributed manufacturing simulation. Proceedings of the 2000 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 1539-1548.

Bruzzone, A. G. , and R. Revetria . 2001. Framework development for Web-based simulation applied to supply chain management. Proceedings of the Fifth UK Simulation Society Conference, pp. 3196-3201.

10.

Pidd, M. , N. Oses , and R. J. Brooks . 1999. Component-based simulation on the Web? Proceedings of the 1999 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 1438-1444.

11.

Taylor, S. J. E. , R. Sudra , and J. Saville . 1999. Developing interest management techniques in distributed interactive simulation using Java. Proceedings of the 1999 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 518-523.

12.

Sudra, R. , S. J. E. Taylor , and T. Janahan . 2000. Distributed supply chain management in GRIDS. Proceedings of the 2000 Winter Simulation Conference, pp. 356-361.

13.

Sudra, R. , S. J. E. Taylor , and T. Janahan . 2000. GRIDS: A novel architecture for distributed supply chain management. Proceedings of the Fall 2000 Simulation Interoperability Workshop, 00F-SIW-051.

14.

Sudra, R. , S. J. E. Taylor , and T. Janahan . 2001. Time management in distributed supply chain management using GRIDS. Proceedings of the Fifth UK Simulation Society Conference, pp. 28-34.

15.

Taylor, S. J. E. , G. Tan , and J. Ladbrook . 2001. Data distribution management for distributed supply chain simulation. Proceedings of the Fifth UK Simulation Society Conference, pp. 35-41.

16.

Saville, J. , and S. J. E. Taylor . 1998. Developing interest management techniques in distributed interactive simulation using Java. Proceedings of the 12th European Simulation Multiconference, pp. 272-278.

17.

Fujimoto, R. M. 2001. Parallel and distributed simulation systems. New York: Wiley Interscience.

18.

Spieckermann, S. , K. Gutenschwager , H. Heinzel , and S. Voss . 2000. Simulation-based optimization in the automotive industry: A case study on body shop design. SIMULATION 75 (5-6): 276-286.

19.

Miller, J. , P. A. Fishwick , S. J. E. Taylor , B. Benjamin , and B. Szymanski . 2001. Research and commercial opportunities in Web-based simulation. Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory 9 (1-2): 55-72.