Conceptual Framework of Supplier Discovery via Ontology-driven Semantic Reasoning

Due to market’s demanding needs of high quality and low cost products, global manufacturers must be competitive in forming and operating dynamic supply chains from raw material sourcing up to global retailing and marketing. This paper proposes a conceptual framework of ontology-based supplier discovery system that connects buyers with suppliers by employing manufacturing ontology and semantic matchmaker. The system consists of capturing of buyer’s requirements and supplier’s capabilities, manufacturing ontology, semantic matchmaker and registry. The proposed conceptual framework for supplier discovery helps overcome the challenge that the manufactures are facing in forming a global collaboration chain and also provides the fundamental principle for operating the formed supply chain.