Area of Application
The method SIMchronization provides a modeling language, modelling procedures and mechanisms & algorithms to document, analyze and improve interdependent material and information flows of a supply chain network.
The method was developed as part of a PhD project for the domain of Maintenance Supply Chains (MRO - maintenance, repair, and overhaul of physical assets) but can easily be applied on general supply chains, production processes and similar application fields.
As Internet of Things (IoT) and Auto-ID functionalities as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) play an important role especially in mobile maintenance scenarios, the method includes concepts to analyze the impact of these technologies.
Abstract
Efficient & responsive Supply Chains require a synchronous interaction of information & material flows. SIMchronization provides a domain-specific, graphical modeling method to document, analyze and improve supply chains; their static structure is modeled graphically, active & reactive object behaviors are defined by rules. A simulation algorithm analyses model dynamics and generates state sequence models showing the chronological sequence of control information and resulting material movements.
