Riddalls, C.E. and Bennett, S.
(2000)
The Stability of Supply Chains.
Research Report.
ACSE Research Report 779
.
Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering
Abstract
A continuous time version of the well known beer game model is derived and its stability and robust stability properties are investigated. Novelty originates from the treatment of pure process delay rather than exponential lags and it is shown that this can lead to to diametrically different dynamics to the exponential lag case. The stability properties of the system are shown to support and quantify the qualitative empirical results of the beer game. Additional insight into the influence of certain model parameters is attained by the interpretation as the degree of mismatch in a Smith predictor regulator. The transient inability to supply all that is demanded is mimicked and shown to constitute an influential source of demand amplification. The analytical nature of these calculations engenders the capacity to improve supply chain dynamics through the synthesis and calibration of strategic supply chain trade off problems.
Metadata
Item Type:
Monograph
Authors/Creators:
Riddalls, C.E.
Bennett, S.
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information:
The Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering research reports offer a forum for the research output of the academic staff and research students of the Department at the University of Sheffield. Papers are reviewed for quality and presentation by a departmental editor. However, the contents and opinions expressed remain the responsibility of the authors. Some papers in the series may have been subsequently published elsewhere and you are advised to cite the later published version in these instances.
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