Service-Controlled Modeling Architecture of Agile Logistics

摘要

Current logistics systems heavily put emphasis on the goods handling processes, but they are unable to react fast enough to rapidly changing environments. The paper proposes service-controlled agile logistics (SCAL) to compensate for this lack of flexibility, the logistics services of which are carried out by independently controlled logistics resources. The SCAL is based on control of logistics processes by the requested services themselves which create their own agents, and is responsible for realizing the service in the best possible way under changing circumstances. Beginning with an analysis of correlative concepts and characters of the SCAL system, the paper presents service-controlled modeling architecture of agile logistics with process thoughts and gives layered description. Four control layers and two service management agents are designed to form a logistics business system based on agile logistics, which are separately logistics service layer, service integrated control centre layer, logistics resource layer, and logistics information platform layer, customer requirement management agent, and cooperation relation management agent. They are collaborated with one another to construct virtual private logistics teamwork suitable for a certain customer's need and furthermore, realizing the win-win between the customer and the logistics service vendor. Finally, the paper describes the transferring process of information flow among control layers and service management agents in order to explain the logistics business operation process of the SCAL system.