Simulation model of decentralized coordination strategies in a linear supply chain

To increase competitiveness in the actual market, enterprises look for integration with customers and suppliers, developing more and more organized framework of physical and informative flows to improve general performances at all levels. One of the most famous tools that underline what aspects are mainly to care about is TvHT Beer Game. This business game recognized in bullwhip effect a characteristic and critical problem in supply chain management. This paper presents a simulation research that approached a linear productive chain integration system with kanban and responsibility tokens, in comparison with Beer Game standard results, to suggest a way to reduce the orders variability and amplification through agents, together with a correspondent reduction of stocks. Four strategies were studied, with two different level of integration and two different targets, either focused on total management cost or on stabilization period of the supply chain. Important results were brought out opening the way to future analysis.