The design of effective and robust supply networks for risky, disruption prone, environments

供应链网络设计是大多数企业成功的关键因素。随着经济的全球化，竞争急剧加剧，为了保持竞争力，公司必须定期调整其供应链网络结构，以适应供应、需求和资源条件的演变。军队中的问题略有不同，但同样重要。敏捷和强大的军事供应链是实现快速反应和赢得战斗的必要条件。商业和军事供应网络必须能够应对与正常操作相关的风险，但它们也非常容易受到低概率高影响中断的影响，这可能导致整个网络失败，而且很少有信息可用于估计其中一些中断的可能性。在此背景下，本研究项目考虑了有效和强大的供应网络的设计，能够应对商业和军事环境中的风险和不可预测的中断。该项目的主要目标是为此类网络的工程开发决策支持系统，即设计稳健有效的供应网络工程工具（RESNETs）。开发的工具将基于所考虑的系统的深入数学建模，以及使用最先进的软件工程和开发技术。除了为军事和商业供应链提供显著的经济和整体效率提高效益外，该项目还将为国防部研究机构、拉瓦尔大学附属的CENTOR研究中心和Modellium公司（一家专门开发决策支持软件的私营公司）之间的技术转让和科学交流提供机会。该项目将在后勤支持系统设计方面发展独特的专业知识，这对加拿大武装部队将是无价的。Modellium公司希望扩大其活动领域，并获得价值数百万美元的新市场份额。

Supply chain network design is a critical success factor for most corporations. With the globalization of the economy, competition has increased tremendously and, to remain competitive, companies must periodically adapt the structure of their supply chain networks to the evolution of supply, demand and resource conditions. The problem in the military is slightly different, but not less important. Agile and robust military supply chains are necessary to enable quick responses and to win battles. Business and military supply networks must be able to cope with the risks associated to normal operations but they are also very vulnerable to low probability high impact disruptions which can cause the whole network to fail, and very little information may be available to estimate the probability of some of these disruptions. In this context, this research project considers the design of effective and robust supply networks capable of coping with risks and unpredictable disruptions in both business and military environments. The main objective of the project is to develop decision support systems for the engineering of such networks, i.e. to design Robust and Effective Supply Network Engineering Tools (RESNETs). The tools developed will be based on in dept mathematical modeling of the systems considered and on the use of state-of-the-art software engineering and development technologies. In addition to providing significant economic and overall efficiency increase benefits for military and business supply chains, this project will provide the occasion for technology transfer and scientific exchange between the Department of National Defence research establishments, the CENTOR research center affiliated to Université Laval, and Modellium Inc., a private company specialised in the development of decision support software. The project will develop unique expertise in logistic support systems design that will be invaluable to the Canadian Armed Forces. Modellium Inc hopes to widen its field of activity, and to gain new market shares evaluated to several million dollars.