Application of distributed control on a large-scale production/ distribution/inventory system

ABSTRACT

Distributed control can be used against centralized control in terms of computational burden and functional issues. The current paper focuses on offline application of distributed control (by receding horizon approach) to a large-scale production/distribution/inventory network or in the other words, a supply chain system. In some industries, long-term demands are given or forecasted regarding product nature and therefore, the use of online repetitive control is unnecessary and non-economic. Of course, for avoiding wrong demands, a demand inspection unit (online adaptation unit) can be considered that evaluates applied demands in definite time periods and in fact makes a quasi-online concept. Each node is controlled separately by a local full-time receding horizon controller and then gives a logistical programme to the decision-maker or node manager and shares its information with neighbour nodes in a cascade organization. This method leads to an effective economic distributed solution for large-scale supply chains with certain variations.

KEYWORDS:

• Supply chain management system
• receding horizon control
• distributed control
• logistical programme
• inventory
• demand

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.