Integrating process and ontology to support supply chain modelling

Abstract

Many researchers have recognised a lack of common framework to support supply chain modelling and analysis and proposed their solutions accordingly. Majority of the approaches proposed are more concerned with building an object model of a supply chain than identifying processes that realistically describe a supply chain. Although object models provide means or building blocks necessary to model and analyse different elements of a supply chain, absence of supply chain processes promotes a ‘black box’ view on the supply chain. This study proposes an ontology model specifically developed to support supply chain process modelling and analysis. It is based on a premise that prior identification of processes the ontology is supposed to support facilitates the ontology development and validation. This study introduces development, validation and application of supply chain ontology to support supply chain process modelling and analysis.

Keywords:

• supply chain
• ontology
• process
• modelling

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the industrial sponsors for providing support to the research through the grant GR/R68139/01 funding the Cranfield University Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre. The contribution from industrial collaborators and fellow team members Professor Alan Harrison, Dr. Ip-Shing Fan, Mr Simon Templar and Mr Marko Bastl is acknowledged.