Introduction OTD-NET and LAS: Order-to-delivery network simulation and decision support systems in complex production and logistics networks

Global Sourcing adds to a company´s value by realizing the best prices on a global market and making new markets accessible. However, increasing global orientation of the companies is associated with new challenges in planning and controlling the network processes to obtain a high service level and a guaranteed availability of supply goods. Order-to-Delivery Network simulation (OTD-NET) offers a simulation based approach for gaining insight in global networks. The OTD-NET suite provides services for modelling, simulating and analyzing complete logistic networks including the specifics of the different network participants like suppliers or producers. With the specialized automotive edition, OTD-NET enables a precise specification of complex products considering its configuration, bill of materials and supports an easy analysis of various network strategies like network design, structure and process concepts, supply strategies as well as different production strategies. OTD-NET is developed by Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics in Dortmund (Germany). Within the paper OTD-NET is presented and exemplarily demonstrated by a joint project with Volkswagen.