Development of a hybrid simulation framework for the production planning process in the atlantic salmon supply chain

Abstract

The farmed salmon supply chain has a highly complex and integrated structure, where activities occur both in the sea and on land. Due to this complexity, the supply chain needs appropriate decision-support tools to aid the production planning process, which capture the material flows, information flows and behaviours of the decision makers in the chain. This paper proposes a hybrid simulation framework for production planning using the case of the Norwegian Atlantic salmon supply chain. This hybrid simulation comprises agent-based modelling (ABM) to capture the autonomous and interacting decision making behaviour of the supply chain actors, while discrete-event simulation (DES) is employed to model the various production processes within the chain. The simulation is implemented using AnyLogic™ version 8.0 simulation software, using a case study from the Norwegian farmed salmon sector. The proposed modelling framework provides a deeper understanding of the activities in the salmon supply chain, thereby enabling improved decision making.