Web Services And Multi-agent-based Agile Supply Chain Management System

In order to survive global market competition, enterprises must change tranditional management methods and improve their competition power by adjusting themselves rapidly and strengthening coordination so as to respond the demand of market as soon as possible. Dynamic alliance can make enterprises exert each advantages, collaborate sincerely, compete jointly, meet changeable market requirements and finally realize win-win. Under the agile competition mode, the competition is not among enterprises rather than among supply chains. So how to keep the agility of supply chain, that is, reconstructing rapidly and adjusting dynamically, is one of key factors which make enterprise succeed in competition.As a conceptional model of DAI(Distributed Artificial Intelligence), Agent has action, object and knowledge and can freely function in some circumstance. Because Agent can search and filtrate information, arrange service, scout surrounding, finish complex task automatically and coordinate with other Agent to tackle intricate matter, it is feasible to put up ASCM (Agile Supply Chain Management System) based on multi-agent technology.With the appearance of Web Service, we have found a resolution to this problem.Web Service ,based on protocols HTTP,XML,SOAP and WSDL, is irrelated to programme language,platforms and equipments, and thus provides a good resolution to the integration of distributed and heterogeneous platform.Therefore, it is feasible to put up ASCM based on Web Service technology.First, the thesis outlines the research development and the challenge of ASC(Agile Supply Chain). On the analysis of agent and MAS technology we propose a ASCM model based on MAS and argue the limitation of this model. On the analysis of Web Service technology we propose a ASCM model based on Web Service and argue the limitation of this model.Second, on the basis of analysis on current technology of MAS coordination we propose a new MAS coordination model based on agent acquaintance coalition(AAC).Then we describe the definition of task, coalition, acquaintance and society organization in AAC and demonstrate the formalization of the foundation and the coordination of a coalition, the distribution and execution of tasks.Third, we propose a dynamic composition model of web service based on AAC, and then describe the key techniques including dynamic formation of Agent-team, proactive collaboration, hierarchical management of web services composition progress, interleaved planning with plan execution and so on.Forth, we construct the agile supply chain management system(ASCM) based on web service-oriented AAC,then illustrate its functions, system architecture and the structure and coordination of agents. A communication platform on ACL based on XML is introduced and we use web services to provide a resolution to the integration of distributed and heterogeneous platform.