Design and simulation on RFID-enabled hybrid Pull/Push control strategy for multi-echelon inventory of supply chain

RFID-enable electronic Kanban system can make the inventory status of the enterprises in supply chain remote real time visible. In consideration of the structural character and the function of the enterprises of the multi-echelon inventory system of supply chain distribution network, the RFID-Enable hybrid Push/Pull control strategy are designed. In this strategy, manufactures are controlled by the Push strategy, the distributions and retailers are controlled by the RFID-Enable Pull strategy based on RFID-enable electronic Kanban system. Three indicators that evaluate the performance of control strategies are presented, which include the total inventory cost, the total shortage loss and the inventory turnover rate. To test the performance of the RFID-Enable Push/Pull Hybrid control strategy, the hybrid strategy is compared with RFID-Enable Pull and Push control strategy. Base on the principle of discrete event system simulation, we design and realize the simulation model, and simulate many different structural supply chain systems controlled by the three kinds of control strategy mentioned above; the results of the simulation experiment demonstrate that the RFID-Enable Push/Pull Hybrid control strategy performs best among the three kinds of control strategy.