Modelling Overlay Networks for Autonomous Supply Chain Systems

In logistics, different kinds of overlay systems are used to solve problems in processing and handling massively distributed information. One of the major challenges is to build overlay systems with effective routing mechanisms working efficiently in dynamically changing distributed environments, like a supply chain. Therefore, scalable and flexible information dissemination solutions are considered crucial. This article presents overlay networks, particularly Peer-to-Peer systems, as carriers of electronic data interchange in the growing global e-marketplace. Here, novel algorithms are utilized to build/relinquish connections among nodes of a supply network, as well as perform supply chain operations according to the SCOR reference model autonomously. The ultimate goal of doing so is to improve the Quality of Service (QoS) among nodes in a supply chain, especially in relation to the customer, since all modern supply chains are customer oriented. These algorithms can be used to facilitate decision making in supply chain management. In this article the necessary design decisions for the implementation of coordinated autonomous systems as cornerstones of a logistics platform for future e-marketplaces are discussed.