Simulation of Collaborative Planning Processes - an Agent-oriented Approach -

The coordination of plans of multiple organizations is more than formalizing the interdependences of the constituting plans. It is also about aligning the processes that lead to those plans. However, existing supply chain literature neglects operational planning processes: no general theory or framework is available about the organization of interactions that are crucial both for the individual and the shared plans. Simulation of the planning actors, their goals, planning strategies and behaviours will give insight into the consequences of various collaboration ‘structures’. The development of such simulations requires a strong involvement of the planners that can be realized by means of operational gaming. Results from the interactive gaming/simulation sessions show planners how to improve their collaborative work. Furthermore, it enhances our knowledge and understanding of collaborative planning in a supply chain context.