Résumé en anglais

Simulation may serve to assess the consequences of operational decisions in a complex hybrid Supply Chain (HSC) that connects an unlimited number of continuous (CP) and discrete processes (DP). Modelling and simulation of such HSC cannot be adequately achieved using commercially available software based on Discrete Events Simulation (DES), System Dynamic Simulation (SDS) or Agent-Based simulation (ABS). The hybrid simulation path (HS), which combines two of these simulation approaches, has not been found to deliver adequate modelling of a HSC and simulation of the impact of a set of operational decisions whose consequences are felt in the short term (within a few weeks). This diagnosis, supported by a review of many recent papers and surveys, led us away from the HS path. To overcome the modelling issues to be addressed, as further discussed below, we developed an extension of DES comprising a set of four generic components, made up of basic components (stocks and processors). These are easily implemented in most commercial DES software. To best describe the methodological issues involved and our proposed solution, we provide an example of a major chemical plant where our solution was successfully implemented.