A Model to design a Product and its Extended Supply Chain integrating PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) Solution

The aim of this study is to propose a new model of the extended supply chain where design of new products is integrated into the process of designing the supply chain. The paper deals with a recent approach that tackles the product and the supply chain design issues at the same time and proposes a methodology of an optimal design of the product and its extended supply chain. We also propose UML conceptual models of the digital mock up where new product design specificities and constraints of old supply chain partners are both integrated. Assuming that several product design alternatives are possible using PLM solutions, the design of the extended supply chain is achieved by levels corresponding to the product’s bill of material. For this purpose, a mathematical model is proposed for optimizing costs for each level in relation to adjacent ones. By this consideration, the model became simpler to solve. Time periods in the mathematical model are considered to be product life cycle phases to show the evolution of the supply chain at each phase. Finally a numerical example is given to illustrate the application of the model.