Multiagent Enabled Modeling and Implementation of SCM

The purpose of this paper is to propose the modeling of multiagent based SCM and implement the prototype in the Internet environment. SCM process follows the supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model which has been suggested by Supply Chain Counsil. SCOR model has been positioned to become the industry standard for describing and improving operational process in SCM. Five basic processes, plan, source, matte, deliver and return are defined in the SCOR model, through which a company establishes its supply chain competitive objectives. A supply chain is a world wide network of suppliers, factories, warehouses, distribution centers and retailers through which raw materials are acquired, transformed or manufactured and delivered to customers by autonomous or semiautonomous process. With the pressure from the higher standard of customer compliance, a frequent model change, product complexity and globalization, the combination of supply chain process with an advanced infrastructure in terms of multiagent systems have been highly required. Since SCM is fundamentally concerned with coherence among multiple decision makers, a multiagent framework based on explicit communication between constituent agents such as suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors is a natural choice. Multiagent framework is defined to perform different activities within a supply chain. Dynamic and changing functions of supply chain can be dealt with multi-agent by cooperating with other agents. In the areas of inventory management, remote diagnostics, communications with field workers, order fulfillment including tracking and monitoring, stock visibility, real-time shop floor data collection, asset tracking and warehousing, customer-centric supply chain can be applied and implemented utilizing multiagent. In this paper, for the order processing event between the buyer and seller relationship, multiagent were defined corresponding to the SCOR process. A prototype system was developed and implemented on the actual TCP/IP environment for the purchase order processing event. The implementation result assures that multiagent based SCM enhances the speed, visibility, proactiveness and responsiveness of activities in the supply chain.