Toward a methodological framework for agent-based modelling and simulation of supply chains in a mass customization context

In a dynamic customer-centric supply chain context, classic forecasting models turn out to have a limited applicability. In order to estimate the key performance indices of these Supply Chains and to facilitate their management, it is necessary to use more elaborate tools such as a simulation. However building simulation of customer-centric supply chains is no trivial matter. It requires the elaboration of a representative model and the execution of this model according to a set of hypotheses associated to scenarios. Due to their properties, Multi-Agent Systems seem particularly well suited for the modelling and the simulation of Supply Chains and more especially in a mass customization context. In this paper we propose an agent modelling framework for the modelling and simulation of such Supply Chains to facilitate their management. We show how this framework can be applied to a case of customer-centric Supply Chain from the golf club industry and we present an experiment plan associated.