¹University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA

Correspondence: MD Rossetti, Industrial Engineering Department, 4207 Bell Engineering Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. E-mail: rossetti@uark.edu

Received 4 June 2007; Accepted 18 December 2007.

Abstract

A framework is a set of reusable classes that work together to facilitate the construction of software within a particular domain. In this paper, we present an object-oriented framework for developing simulation models involving supply chain networks. The key object-oriented artefacts for modelling inventory-based supply chain networks are presented including the classes, their attributes, relationships, and behaviours. The framework's implementation within Java is also presented through a number of examples. The examples illustrate the capabilities of the framework to build large-scale multi-echelon, multi-item inventory networks with time-based transport between locations.