Introduction to Intelligent Decision Support for Logistics and Supply Chain Management Minitrack

Information technology (IT) is a prerequisite for successful supply chain management today and will become even more so in near future. While IT systems are vital components in supply chains, their successful management rests on coordinated decision making throughout the logistics network. Data warehouses and data mining can be used to store and analyze product, inventory, and sales information. Simulation and optimization can be employed for, e.g., inventory, production, procurement, and distribution planning. Intelligent agents can, e.g., communicate with different partners in the supply chain, assist in collecting information, share product information, negotiate prices, and distribute alerts throughout logistics networks. This minitrack consists of nine contributions which deal with intelligent decision support in the field of logistics and supply chain management. The papers provide a heterogeneous yet complementary ensemble as they consider different approaches in coping with the uncertainty and complexity found in real-world decision situations.