Multi-agent based cloud utilization for IT OA assets dispatching process in SCM´s view: An empirical study

The IT OA -office-aid- assets (ex. PC, Telephone ... etc.) are required tools for most office workers in an enterprise. The process from ordering to dispatching the composite OA assets for new employees itself is a supply chain within a company. This study aims to save man power, increase process efficiency and resolve the supply chain issues beneath the operation by reengineering the process and integrate the multi-sites, multi-roles/tasks into a multi-agent-based collaborative cloud application service. At last, empirical data supports that process time is gained and thus earlier issuing the IT OA composites is also achieved. The other attributes of this study include: (1) agent-based collaborative platform converts batch processing of centralized management into parallel information processing; (2) the simplified interface allows users to get the picture of the entire flow at a snap shot. Meanwhile, cloud-based utilization can be adopted by the company subsidiaries with the similar processes.