Scalable Enterprise Systems: Distributed and Collaborative Enterprise Decision Making in the Electronic Supply Chain

本研究将探讨下一代企业系统的分布式和协作决策范例。该项目的目标是通过在供应链管理的上下文中开发分布式和协作性事务范例，为企业决策探索一个可扩展的框架。本研究的主要目标是：(1)发展分布式企业交易的基础理论；(2)探索电子商务和供应链物流背景下的企业协调问题；(3)基于现实世界的行业应用进行实地研究。本研究的一个主要论点是，电子商务和供应链物流之间的协同作用形成了一个前所未有的创新和发现领域，在当前经济转型中发挥着关键作用。基于坚实的理论和行业现实，对交易范式和供应链协调的研究将是这一转变的关键环节。如果成功，本研究的结果将导致在新的电子商务环境中简化信息管理。传统企业资源规划（ERP）系统中的一个基本范例是以自上而下、分层的方式寻求系统细节的“完全可见性”。这是通过使用复杂的信息和数据库管理系统维护组织所有可感知方面的详细信息来实现的。这些信息必须保持最新，因为它是整个系统决策的基础。对于涉及供应链中多个设施或公司的大规模业务，目前的方法在扩大规模方面遇到了重大困难。PI将使用类似于自由市场运作的去中心化方法：每个决策实体根据私有信息、自身利益和本地动机偏好/约束做出本地自主决策。集中信息管理大幅简化为维护市场公平稳定。为了在电子商务的背景下实现，这种新的范例促进了普遍同意的电子交易和信息交换领域。这项资助使两个机构组成了一个研究小组。这项研究将在里海大学制造物流研究所和沃顿商学院菲什曼-戴维森服务与运营管理中心的行业合作伙伴的参与下进行

This research will examine distributed and collaborative decision paradigms for next generation enterprise systems. The goal for the project is to explore a scalable framework for enterprise decision-making through the development of distributed and collaborative transaction paradigms in the context of supply chain management. The main objectives of this research will be to: (1) develop fundamental theory for distributed enterprise transactions, (2) explore enterprise coordination issues in the context of electronic commerce and supply chain logistics, and (3) conduct field studies based on real-world industry applications. A main thesis of this research is that the synergy between e-commerce and supply-chain logistics forms an unprecedented area of innovation and discovery, which play a pivotal role in transforming the current economy. Building on solid theory and industry realities, the research in transaction paradigms and supply-chain coordination will be crucial links in this transformation. If successful, the result of this research will lead to simplify information management in the new electronic business environment. A basic paradigm in conventional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is one that seeks "total visibility" of system details in a top-down, hierarchical manner. This is accomplished by maintaining painfully detailed information of all perceivable aspects of the organization using sophisticated information and database management systems. This information must be kept up-to-date since it serves as a basis for decision making throughout the system. For large-scale operations involving multiple facilities or firms in a supply chain, the current approach encounters major difficulties in scaling up. The PI's will use a decentralized approach analogous to the operations of a free market: each decision entity makes locally autonomous decisions based on privately owned information, self-interest, and locally motivated preference/constraints. Centralized information management is drastically simplified to that of maintaining market fairness and stability. To be implemented in the context of electronic commerce, this new paradigm facilitates a universally agreed upon domain of electronic transactions and information exchange. The grant brings together a two-institution research team. The research will be conducted with participation from industry partners at Lehigh's Manufacturing Logistics Institute and Wharton's Fishman-Davison Center for Service and Operations Management