Alleviating the bullwhip effect in supply chain management using the multi-agent approach: an empirical study
by Qing Cao, Karyl B. Leggio
International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology (IJCAT), Vol. 31, No. 3/4, 2008

Abstract: Supply chain management critically affects businesses' abilities to obtain and sustain competitive advantages. This paper presents a systematic approach to tackle the issue of the bullwhip effect in supply chain management. First, we proposed a multi-agent supply chain framework and compare it with the traditional sequential supply chain framework. Secondly, we hypothesise that the multi-agent supply chain framework would be more effective in alleviating the bullwhip effect than the sequential supply chain framework. Finally, we describe a case study that was conducted to test the proposed hypothesis. The findings suggested the multi-agent supply chain framework outperformed the sequential supply chain in alleviating the bullwhip effect. Supply chain management critically affects businesses' abilities to obtain and sustain competitive advantages. This paper presents a systematic approach to tackle the issue of the bullwhip effect in supply chain management. First, we proposed a multi-agent supply chain framework and compare it with the traditional sequential supply chain framework. Secondly, we hypothesise that the multi-agent supply chain framework would be more effective in alleviating the bullwhip effect than the sequential supply chain framework. Finally, we describe a case study that was conducted to test the proposed hypothesis. The findings suggested the multi-agent supply chain framework outperformed the sequential supply chain in alleviating the bullwhip effect.

Online publication date: Mon, 05-May-2008

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