Framework for Modelling the Decision: View of the Supply Chains Collaborative Planning Process

In the supply chains operations planning context, and from a research viewpoint, it has been mainly assumed that different supply chain members make decisions in a centralised manner (one decision centre). However, reality shows that this is not the most usual situation, rather distributed supply chain decision making is. This paper proposes a framework to support modelling the decisional view of collaborative planning from a decision-making process perspective for both centralised and distributed situations. Along these lines, the framework assumes that the supply chain may be composed of one or several decision centres which aim to support every supply chain planning operation. Therefore, the main framework contributions are: consideration of decisions jointly with physical, organisation and information views; the spatial and temporal integration among the different supply chain decision centres; the definition of the macro level for “conceptually” modelling the collaborative planning process and the micro level for developing analytical models in all the decisional activities identified in the supply chains operations planning process. Finally, a brief overview of a real case application is also described.