Facoltà: Ingegneria Gestionale per la Produzione Industriale - classe 34/S
Collocazione: 6691
Autore: Albizzati Fabio
Data: 21/07/2008
Titolo: THE NETWORK TOPOLOGY IN THE BEER GAME: A PRELIMINARY STUDY
Relatore: Rossi Tommaso
Correlatore: Strozzi Fernanda
Autorizzazione per la consultazione: SI
Le tesi si possono consultare unicamente in sede
The primary purpose of this research is the analysis of the impact of supply chain design decisions on the overall performances of a supply chain. In particular, it will be evaluated how different network configurations and different participants' behaviors influence the Bullwhip effect and the Backlog values among the supply chain levels. The study starts from the description of the guide principles, which a Supply Chain Management system is based on, basically focusing on supply chain's objectives and on the role of supply chain design decisions. It continues analysing the themes concerning the Bullwhip effect: the factors contributing to its creation and the methods proposed to cope with it and to quantify it. Furthermore, it is proposed an analysis of the different types of simulation in supply chain management and, in particular, starting from the description of the Beer Game dynamics by Professor Sterman, it is described the mathematical formalism of the Beer Game simulation model. Finally, the results of the simulation and the relative comparisons among the proposed network configuration models are illustrated. In particular, the results are analysed focusing the attention on how the monitored performances’ measures vary in relation to the number of chains which characterize each study’s model. Thus the analysis shows the impact of the supply chain design decisions on the backlog value observed at each level of the network and on the Bullwhip effect caused and experienced by each stage of the supply chain. From this analysis it can be inferred that the supply chain performances do not vary in relation to the number of chains constituting a supply chain network. Specifically, it is shown how the Bullwhip effect, passing from two or more chains, does not change, thus showing its independence from the number of chains, in case of a system characterized by a number of them equivalent or higher than two. In conclusion, if this allows to suppose that having two or more suppliers does not have any impact on the overall supply network performances, the “Theory of Trust” assumes that a relevant number of suppliers does not allow the implementation of collaborative procedures that can significantly reduce the Bullwhip effect.
