Integrating ERP with Negotiation Tools in Supply Chain

Abstract

Today marketplaces are characterized by a high degree of dynamism where companies need to operate by matching agility and efficiency. Supply Chain Management has become the crucial key to competitive advantage and traditional tools for enterprise management, such as ERP or MRP II, need to gain capabilities to allow inter-organizations relationships. The research presented in here aims at developing an Extended Agent Based ERP for enterprises relationship coordination. In particular, we refer to a vertical supply chain where suppliers operate under Assembly to Order (ATO) modalities; furthermore, suppliers are organised in a "buyer centric e-marketplace" by the assembler. In such a context, through the use of Multi Agent System (MAS) technology, the coordination of the ERP systems is approached by considering the development of an electronic negotiation system. The simulations conducted highlight the functionality of the cooperation among the ERP systems and the improvement of the performance both for customers and suppliers. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.