E-management of scalable supply chains: conceptual modeling and information technologies framework

The interest in Supply Chain (SC) management decision-making problem is growing fast. The purpose of a SC is to transform incomplete information about the market and available resources into co-ordinated plans for production and replenishment of goods and services in the network formed by co-operating units. One of the goals of Internet-Based Management (e-management) is to facilitate transfer and sharing of knowledge in the context of structures, such as SC. Object-oriented Knowledge Management tools for SC configuration utilise reusable components and configure knowledge as needed, in order to interactively assist users (agents) in decision-making. This paper discusses a generic development methodology for object-oriented conceptual modelling and e-management of scalable supply chains. For illustration, applications from the textile industry have been utilised.