Dissertation

Topic

Framework for semantic supported modeling and orchestration of logistic integrated processes, with focus on Supply Chain

Description

Inter-enterprise coordination is a core issue in Supply Chain Management (SCM). The challenge is to allow that every supply network member makes decisions based on the latest and best information from everyone else. Companies invariably need to electronically exchange information and integrating such information into each member information system. The traditional solution consists on providing interfaces that allows the access of providers and clients to the necessary data for management. However, because of the large number of diverse information systems, the data format (syntax) of each exchange (message) and the meaning (semantics) of both of them usually differs from company to company, or sometimes even within the same company if more than one software product is used as information system. This makes it very challenging to exchange information in an interoperable way. Interoperability in this context means “the ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged”. So, users either have to agree on a common model to express the data to be exchanged or they have to individually translate the data received from the business partner to the data format they own.

Despite the fact that process modeling languages allow the combination of process definition (their structure) with Web services orchestration (as process execution structure), they are not able until now to define the integration mechanisms for heterogeneous data schemas. On the other hand, the solutions designed to achieve interoperability of the information systems don’t achieve a complete integration since they don’t include the integration at processes level.

The previously expressed features shows exactly the gap that our research will try to progressively reduce with the merging of the semantic supported process modeling in the frame of logistical management with focus on Supply Chain (in the tactical-strategic level), with their orchestration (via the usage of a service oriented architecture); reducing the integration efforts starting from the reduction of heterogeneity and uncertainty in decisions making in the tactical-strategic level of Supply Chain Management.

Main objective: to design and implement a framework that merges the semantic supported modeling with the orchestration of integration processes in the tactical-strategic level of the logistical management with focus on Supply Chain, through the fundamental components from a service oriented architecture.

Specific objectives:

• To semantically support the modeling of the integration processes in the tactical-strategic level of the logistical management with focus on Supply Chains.
• To allow the orchestration of these processes, through the fundamental components of a service oriented architecture.
• To design a framework that combines the semantic supported modeling with the orchestration of integration processes in the approached context.