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Chapter 7
Intelligent Simulation System
for Supply Chain Event
Management (SCEM)
Barin Nag
Towson University, USA
Haiying Qiao
SmartOps Company, Pittsburgh, USA
Dong-Qing Yao
Towson University, USA
1. INTRODUCTION
Supply Chain Event Management (SCEM), some-
times referred to as Supply Chain Process Manage-
ment (SCPM), is defined by APICS (APICS, 2005)
as the application of a special type of software that
simulates, controls, and responds to exceptions in a
supply chain. SCEM can provide active visibility,
and perform the functions such as real-time moni-
toring, measuring with key performance indicators
(KPIs), notifying exceptions to decision makers,
performing what-if simulation scenario analysis,
and controlling unexpected events such as cancelled
orders, supply disruption, and currency fluctuations,
etc. The advantage of the application of SCEM is
that connected processes can be monitored, even in a
global context where the uncertainties are magnified,
and that the processes can be modified if necessary
(Christopher, 2005). In the global economy that is
there today, the supply chain is global in nature and
is becoming increasingly complex and dynamic.
There are risks inherent in all stages of supply chain
processes, from the supply side to the demand side
(PRTM, 2005). As a result, global supply chain
ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors present an intelligent simulation system for supply chain event management
for the purpose of designing and re-engineering the supply chain. The simulation framework mainly
composes of component layer, process layer, intelligent execution layer, and output layer. The functional
design of the layers is discussed with comments on the contribution of the simulation. Implementation
issues are further addressed and an illustrative case study is reported.
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-605-6.ch007