Cloud-based multi-agent supply chain system architecture
Date
2013
Authors
Venzeslas, Oliko Gabriel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
Efficient supply chain management is a key challenge for many organizations. This
becomes even critical and complicated when the goods that these organizations deal
with are considered to be life saving. The Kenya Medical Supplies Agency
(KEMSA) whose mandate is to procure, store and distribute drugs and health
commodities to health facilities in Kenya has not be spared by this challenge.
Secondary research suggests that the main problems in KEMSA include uneven
distribution of healthcare services or drugs, ineffective and inefficient supply chain
systems and low availability and accessibility of healthcare products occasioned by
lack of a supply management system.
The development of multi agent concepts in Artificial Intelligence in recent years
provides an opportunity to explore the possibility of deployment of such concepts to
further enhance the supply chain systems. Cloud computing on the other hand is the
delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources,
software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a
metered service over a network.
This is an applied research and semi-structured interviews and secondary data were
used. This research sought to develop architecture for a multi-agent supply chain
system around a cloud in an attempt to address the supply chain management and
delivery challenges at KEMSA. This research then recommended this architecture as
a foundation on which Supply Chain Management software for KEMSA or other
interested organizations can be built on
Description
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of
Master of Science in Information Technology
Keywords
Supply chain system, Kenya Medical Supplies Agency, Cloud computing