Agent-Based Supply Network Event Management

"Supply Chain Event Management (SCEM)" is one of the major topics in application-oriented Supply Chain Management. However, many solutions lack conceptual precision and currently available client-server SCEM-systems are ill-suited for complex supply networks in today's business environment. Agent-based proactive information logistics promises to overcome existing deficits by providing event-related information to all participants in the distributed environment. Hence, follow-up costs of disruptive events are significantly reduced for all network participants and performance of a supply network is increased. In this book a thorough analysis of the event management problem domain is the starting point to develop a generic agent-based approach to Supply Network Event Management. The main focus lies on practical issues of event management (e.g. semantic interoperability) and economic benefits to be achieved with agent technology in this state-of-the-art problem domain.

1 Introduction

1

(4)

2 Event Management in Supply Networks

5

(44)

2.1 Problem

5

(12)

2.1.1 Event-related Information Logistics

5

(4)

2.1.2 Supply Networks

9

(5)

2.1.3 Formal Specification of the Problem

14

(3)

2.2 Requirements of an Event Management Solution

17

(7)

2.2.1 General Requirements

19

(1)

2.2.2 Functional Requirements

20

(2)

2.2.3 Data Requirements

22

(2)

2.2.4 Implications

24

(1)

2.3 Potential Benefits

24

(10)

2.3.1 Benefits for Single Enterprises

24

(3)

2.3.2 Analysis of Supply Network Effects

27

(3)

2.3.3 Benefits for Supply Networks

30

(2)

2.3.4 Summary on Potential Benefits

32

(2)

2.4 Existing Approaches

34

(15)

2.4.1 Tracking Systems

34

(5)

2.4.2 SCEM Software

39

(8)

2.4.3 Conclusion on Existing Approaches

47

(2)

3 Information Base for Event Management

49

(38)

3.1 Data Model

49

(16)

3.1.1 Representation of the Supply Network Domain

49

(8)

3.1.2 Aggregation and Refinement of Status Data

57

(4)

3.1.3 Disruptive Event Data for Decision Support

61

(3)

3.1.4 Extendable Data Structures

64

(1)

3.2 Semantic Interoperability

65

(9)

3.2.1 Requirements for Semantic Interoperability

65

(3)

3.2.2 Existing Approaches

68

(2)

3.2.3 Ontology for Supply Network Event Management

70

(4)

3.3 Data Sources

74

(13)

3.3.1 Data Bases

75

(3)

3.3.2 Internet Sources and Web Services

78

(4)

3.3.3 Radio Frequency Identification Technologies

82

(5)

4 Event Management Functions

87

(58)

4.1 Information Gathering in Supply Networks

87

(9)

4.1.1 Trigger Events

88

(1)

4.1.2 Inter-organizational Information Gathering

89

(7)

4.2 Proactive and Flexible Monitoring

96

(17)

4.2.1 Critical Profiles

97

(3)

4.2.2 Discovery of Critical Profiles

100

(5)

4.2.3 Continuous Assessment of Critical Profiles

105

(8)

4.3 Analysis and Interpretation of Event Data

113

(14)

4.3.1 Basic Approach

113

(2)

4.3.2 Data Interpretation with Fuzzy Logic

115

(1)

4.3.3 Aggregated Order Status

116

(4)

4.3.4 Assessment of Disruptive Events

120

(2)

4.3.5 Adjustment of Milestone Plans

122

(5)

4.4 Distribution of Event Data

127

(14)

4.4.1 Alert Management Process

128

(1)

4.4.2 Alert Decision Management

129

(4)

4.4.3 Escalation Management

133

(3)

4.4.4 Selection of Recipient and Media Type

136

(3)

4.4.5 Selection of Content

139

(2)

4.5 Event Management Process

141

(4)

4.5.1 Event Management Functions

141

(2)

4.5.2 Distributed Event Management in Supply Networks

143

(2)

5 Agent-based Concept

145

(56)

5.1 Software Agents and Supply Network Event Management

145

(9)

5.1.1 Introduction to Software Agents

145

(4)

5.1.2 Benefits of Agent Technology for Event Management

149

(2)

5.1.3 Related Work in Agent Technologies

151

(3)

5.2 Agent Oriented Software Engineering

154

(7)

5.2.1 Approaches

154

(3)

5.2.2 AUML for Supply Network Event Management

157

(4)

5.3 Agent Society for Supply Network Event Management

161

(14)

5.3.1 Roles and Agent Types

161

(5)

5.3.2 Agent Interactions

166

(7)

5.3.3 Institutional Agreements

173

(2)

5.4 Coordination Agent

175

(7)

5.4.1 Structure

175

(1)

5.4.2 Behaviors

176

(5)

5.4.3 Interactions

181

(1)

5.5 Surveillance Agent

182

(7)

5.5.1 Structure

182

(2)

5.5.2 Behaviors

184

(4)

5.5.3 Interactions

188

(1)

5.6 Discourse Agent

189

(6)

5.6.1 Structure

189

(1)

5.6.2 Behaviors

190

(3)

5.6.3 Interactions

193

(2)

5.7 Wrapper Agent

195

(6)

5.7.1 Structure

195

(1)

5.7.2 Behaviors

196

(2)

5.7.3 Interactions

198

(3)

6 Prototype Implementations

201

(42)

6.1 Generic Prototype

201

(25)

6.1.1 Overview

202

(4)

6.1.2 Ontology Integration

206

(5)

6.1.3 Coordination Agent

211

(6)

6.1.4 Surveillance Agent

217

(5)

6.1.5 Discourse Agent

222

(2)

6.1.6 Wrapper Agent

224

(2)

6.2 Supply Network Testbed

226

(3)

6.2.1 Simulated Enterprise Data Base

226

(1)

6.2.2 Simulator

227

(2)

6.3 Industry Showcase

229

(14)

6.3.1 Overview

229

(2)

6.3.2 Coordination Agent

231

(5)

6.3.3 Surveillance Agent

236

(4)

6.3.4 Wrapper Agent

240

(3)

7 Evaluation

243

(44)

7.1 Concept

243

(5)

7.1.1 Constraints to an Evaluation

243

(1)

7.1.2 Multi-dimensional Evaluation

244

(4)

7.2 Analytical Evaluation

248

(19)

7.2.1 Effects of SNEM Cycles

248

(2)

7.2.2 Costs of Event Management

250

(3)

7.2.3 Cost-Benefit-Model and Benchmarks

253

(5)

7.2.4 Supply Network Effects

258

(1)

7.2.5 Event Management with Profiles

259

(7)

7.2.6 Conclusions

266

(1)

7.3 Experimental Evaluation

267

(9)

7.3.1 Reaction Function

267

(3)

7.3.2 Experimental Results

270

(3)

7.3.3 Cost-Benefit Analysis

273

(2)

7.3.4 Conclusions

275

(1)

7.4 Showcase Evaluation

276

(7)

7.4.1 Prototype Assessment

276

(2)

7.4.2 Analysis of Follow-up Costs

278

(4)

7.4.3 Conclusions

282

(1)

7.5 Summary - Benefits and Constraints

283

(4)

8 Conclusions and Outlook

287

(8)

8.1 Supply Network Event Management

287

(2)

8.2 Further Research Opportunities

289

(6)

8.2.1 Object Chips for Supply Network Event Management

290

(2)

8.2.2 Event Management in other Domains

292

(1)

8.2.3 Integration and Acceptance Issues

292

(3)

Appendices

295

(14)

References

309

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Agent-Based Supply Network Event Management

Summary

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