Integrated System Model for Flexible Supply Chain

To determine the rational flexibility of a supply chain and improve its performances, the motivation for the emergence and evolution of a supply chain and its dynamic characteristic in its life cycle were systematically analyzed using supply-demand principle. The most important motivation is the demand. Six submodels were proposed, that is, research and development, resources, manufacturing, information, material flow and decision submodels. The submodels were then integrated into a model for flexible supply chain.