Supply Chain Solutions

Supply chain management is a complex, multidisciplinary, and distributed process requiring solutions that are geared toward creating, integrating, managing, controlling, and optimizing supply chains at different planning horizons.

Our supply chain solutions enable managers and decision makers to maximize their supply chain performance. PAI's solutions support decision making at several levels, including:

  • Strategic: e.g. supply chain network design, allocation of suppliers to plants, supply chain wide capacity planning
  • Tactical: e.g. production policies, product and distribution planning
  • Operational: e.g. material flow, inventory optimization, scheduling

PAI's approach to develop supply chain solutions is based on best practiced methodologies and state of the art scientific approaches including:

  • Structured and explicit definition of the supply chain, from different views (e.g. process, information, material, interdependencies, etc.)
  • A methodology to model and analyze the dynamic and stochastic nature of the Supply Chain
  • Defining and using supply chain key performance indicators, such as responsiveness, cost, reliability, safety, flexibility, and asset management efficiency
  • A methodology to optimize the Supply Chain

Example Projects

NASA Supply Chain Operations Simulation Modeling and Analysis

NASA

In this project, PAI  delivered an end-to-end Space Exploration Supply Chain modeling, simulation, and strategic analysis tool focusing on Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) operations. This is a powerful software tool that combines state-of-the-art research with innovation and agility, bridging the gap between applied research advances and practice. The methodology consist of an Ontology that imbeds the captured ETO Supply Chain knowledge, an Arena simulation model generator, and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) through which the user is able to build and simulate "what if" operational scenarios. This project was awarded to PAI as a result of a competitive BAA to support the Presidents 'Vision for Exploration'. 

 


CxDES Modeling and Simulation

NASA

NASA performs some of the most complex and challenging efforts ever undertaken by mankind.  Manufacturing, integrating, launching, and safely recovering launch vehicles and spacecraft requires a huge investment in both time and capital.  Years can be spent designing, developing, and manufacturing components to meet a launch window of only minutes.  In such demanding operating environments, effective supply chain management is critical.   PAI is working to help NASA improve supply chain performance by developing an end-to-end analysis capability for launch vehicle and spacecraft manufacturing and supply chains.  The tool allows users to define and experiment with various supply chain architectures to optimize the flow of information and materials while minimizing costs.