Combined Discrete-Continuous Modeling for Supply Chain Simulation

Many simulation models have been built to facilitate simulation technique in designing, evaluating, and optimizing supply chains. Simulation is preferred to deal with stochastic natures existing in the supply chain. Moreover simulation has a capability to find local optimum value within each component through entire supply chain. Most of supply chain simulation models have been developed on the basis of discrete-event simulation. Since supply chain systems are neither completely discrete nor continuous, the need of constructing a model with aspects of both discrete-event and continuous simulation is provoked, resulting in a combined discrete-continuous simulation. In this paper, an architecture of combined modeling for supply chain simulation is proposed, which includes the equation of continuous portion in supply chain and how these equations are used in the supply chain simulation models. A simple example of supply chain model dealing with the strategic level of supply chain presented in this paper shows the possibility and the prospect of this approach.