Explicit Filters and Supply Chain Design

Due to the complexity of present day supply chains, it is important to select the simplest supply chain scheduling Decision Support System (DSS) which will determine and place orders satisfactorily. We propose to use a generic design framework, termed the explicit filter methodology, to achieve this objective. In doing so we compare the explicit filter approach to the implicit filter approach utilised in previous OR research which focused on minimising a cost function. Although the results may well be similar with both approaches it is much clearer to the designer, why and how, a scheduling system will reduce the Bullwhip Effect when designed via the explicit filter approach.