Automated order processing and inventory management using multi agent system in Supply Chain Management

Abstract

Supply Chain exists in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the complexity of each enterprise may vary greatly from industry to industry. In many situations, real-time operation is required in a supply chain, where it is desirable to optimize the schedules each time a new order is submitted. Order will be successfully executed and will be shipped to customer after passing through different phases. Each phase requires human interaction with system. This human interaction may be error prone and it costs to company in terms of facilities provided like training, communication cost etc. for personnel. Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a modular and decentralized application. If user interaction can be reduced at all stages where it can be applicable, then whole process can be automated and is less error prone. In order to achieve such automation we require a software system which can be modular and can work intelligently and provide continuous support for whole SCM cycle in efficient and effective way. Considering this as a base, industrial research work has been carried out and by considering electronics manufacturing industry’s SCM cycle an effort has been made to automate whole SCM cycle using agents and making multi agent system. Agents are best suited for applications that are modular, decentralized, changeable, ill-structured and complex. As different agents will be created for different tasks and thus multi agent system will be created for whole CSM cycle. Optimization has been done at the stages where it is required and automated order processing and inventory management is the main concern. The system is implemented in a decentralized form and by submitting different orders, different aspects of the system has been tested.