Simulation of Supply Chain Network Based on Discrete-continuous Combined Modeling

At most time, supply chain is a hybrid dynamic system composed of continuous material flow, discrete information flow and their interaction. Traditional method of modeling and simulation of supply chain looking supply chain as discrete event system can´t reflect systemic dynamic complexity. In this paper, two kinds of order decision-making simulation model of supply chain, discrete model and discrete-continuous hybrid model are built with system dynamics and discrete state chart using the software AnyLogic. Inventory levels of manufacturer and distributor under traditional inventory strategy and VMI strategy are studied. Simulation results show that hybrid model describes bullwhip effect of supply chain different from discrete model, that is the bullwhip effect exhibiting higher inventory level of supply chain upstream enterprise in discrete-continuous combined modeling while exhibiting higher inventory fluctuation of supply chain upstream enterprise in discrete model and can simulates the process of system evolvement caused by adaptive agent´s evolutionary learning greatly.