A generic representation of supply network resilience using simulation based experimentation

ABSTRACT This paper presents a generic representation of supply network resilience implemented using Agent-Based Modelling and Simulation (ABMS) and simulation experiments. The representation captures the relationships between tactical and strategic decisions and their impact on the performance of multi-echelon networks under supply uncertainty. This representation expands practitioners’ understanding of the behaviour of their supply chains by using the Supply Chain Operations Reference model processes and performance metrics and developing a simulation model that can be adapted to a firm’s unique supply structure (sourcing strategy) and its product’s technological assembly order (Bill of Materials). To demonstrate the applicability and usability of the proposed representation, a case with single and dual sourcing network structures was analysed under disruptions of operational and strategic nature. The example demonstrates the flexibility and functionality of the proposed representation to understand the performance and resilience of multi-echelon networks under a wide range of disruptive scenarios.