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In the past, logistics used to be a core function of production and trading companies but many of them started to outsource at least parts of their logistics functions to specialized logistics service providers in terms of logistics contracts. With this, sophisticated business models such as value added logistics service providers evolved which concentrate on tasks of planning, coordination and monitoring of entire supply chains. Most of these tasks encompass a variety of isolated steps in order to deliver efficient logistics processes. In this paper, an approach that supports the integrated planning of logistics contracts is presented. A mechanism for integrating different models which are used during isolated planning tasks is described in detail. Further, an example shows how to generate a simulation model starting from a process description and hence how to make consistently reuse of models.

No abstract

In the past, logistics used to be a core function of production and trading companies but many of them started to outsource at least parts of their logistics functions to specialized logistics service providers in terms of logistics contracts. With this, sophisticated business models such as value added logistics service providers evolved which focus on tasks of planning, coordination and monitoring of entire supply chains involving multiple logistics providers. Challenges remain though, for instance how a complex logistics contract can be planned and how it can be assured that the providers comply with the planned process. In this article, we present a conceptual as well as technical solution to the monitoring of logistics services and show how to reuse this information in a model for the integrated planning of logistics contracts. A simulation model thereby ensures validity of the overall planning. An approach for integrating different models helps to overcome the problem of utilizing multiple models. Finally, an example scenario shows how each part contributes to a successful planning process for logistics contracts. Keywords logistics; model integration; model transformation; planning; simulation; CEP; information acquisition.Stefan Mutke, Christoph Augenstein, Martin Roth, André Ludwig, Bogdan Franczyk. Real-time information acquisition in a model-based integrated planning environment for logistics contracts.

Driven by rising competitive constraints companies began to outsource at least parts of their internal activities to specialized external logistics providers in terms of contracts. Thereby, new business models like the fourth party logistics provider evolved, who acts like coordinator of the emerging logistics networks. The main tasks of the provider are the planning, monitoring and measurement of such networks. In this contribution a holistic method to integrate process modeling and their simulation within the planning phase is introduced. Furthermore, an integrated approach to support the planning with real-time information to overcome the challenges from simulation is outlined. Due to this approach, the simulation generates more reliable results and contemporary reduces the effort using simulation techniques. Therefore, complex event processing is used to gather real-time information about process executions and provides this information as service profiles for simulation.