Modeling and Simulation of Textile Supply Chain through Colored Petri Nets

doi:10.4236/iim.2012.425037

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Intelligent Information Management, 2012, 4, 261-268

http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/iim.2012.425037 Published Online October 2012 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/iim)

Modeling and Simulation of Textile Supply

Chain through Colored Petri Nets

Francisca Santana-Robles1, Joselito Medina-Marín2, Oscar Montaño-Arango2,

Juan Carlos Seck-Tuoh-Mora2

1Academic Area of Engineering, School Higher of Sahagún City, Autonomous University of Hidalgo State, Pachuca, México

2Advanced Research Center in Industrial Engineering, Autonomous University of Hidalgo State, Pachuca, México

Email: fran-santan[email protected]

Received August 31, 2012; revised October 3, 2012; accepted October 12, 2012

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to describe the business process modeling and simulation of a textile supply chain using

Colored Petri nets. Our model takes into account both the source process and delivery logistics that exist between any

two members of supply chain; moreover, we model other activities performed by the company such as manufacturing

clothing. The model has been built to acquire a better understanding about the behavior of a textile company in the ful-

fillment of requests from costumers. The model has been built using CPN Tools. This model was built with modules for

activities of the supply chain textile, e.g. receiving orders of customers, determination of production plan, procurement

raw material, transportation of raw material, production and delivering products to customers. This modularized model

offers some advantages to represent complex supply chains according to their structure and requirements. Thus, we can

add modules easily depending on the necessary activities.

Keywords: Supply Chain; Business Process; Business Process Modeling Techniques; Colored Petri Nets

1. Introduction

The global competitive business environment and ad-

vances in information technology have forced enterprises

to look for efficiencies in their internal operations as well

as in coordinated operations with their suppliers and

customers. This forced enterprises to evaluate the per-

formance of their supply chain. Companies are improv-

ing their performance by a constant evaluation of the

value added in all parts of their processes. In this field,

simulation is a valuable tool to evaluate the design and

redesign of business process. Simulation approach offers

several advantages. Simulation is recognized to allow

more realistic observation of the supply chain behavior

or of complex economic models in general. It allows an

analysis of the supply chain dynamics and leads to an

observations along time. There are software tools to si-

mulate business process [1-3]. In [1] the authors describe

three categories of software tools that can be used for

business processes simulation (BPS). These categories

are business process modeling tools, business process

management tools, and general purpose simulation tools.

For each type they describe two specific tools and they

evaluate their applicability for BPS. They categorize

Protos and ARIS as Business process modeling tools;

FLOWer and FileNet as business process management

tools; and Arena and CPN Tools as general purpose

simulation tools; this is shown in Tables 1-3. On the

other hand, there are diverse techniques to model busi-

ness processes in supply chain [2,3] they propose tax-

onomy of classification oriented to supply chain. The

taxonomy includes the following process perspectives:

functional, behavioral, organizational, and informational;

similarly, they propose business process modeling tech-

niques, for example Petri Nets to model functional and

behavioral perspectives.

Textile and clothing industry is highly diverse and

heterogeneous. Moreover, in today’s markets competi-

tion is no longer on a company versus company model,

but instead of supply chain versus supply chain. In order

to success, companies need to achieve integration with

customers and suppliers. In addition, supply chain in

textile industry is complex. Supply chain is relatively

long, with a number of parties involved. Consequently,

careful management of supply chain is required in order

to reduce lead times and reach quick response, high-

lighting the need to use an approach such as agility [4].

In this field, Colored Petri Nets are a valuable tool to

build a model of textile supply chain because they give

the flexibility in the specification of the supply chain

configuration. An advantage of analyzing textile supply

chain simulation by using Colored Petri Nets is that

F. SANTANA-ROBLES ET AL.

262

Table 1. Modeling capabilities.

Feature Protos ARIS FLOWer FileNet Arena CPN Tools

Ease of model building ++ + + + + − −

Formal semantics/verif. + − − − − − +/− ++

Workflow patterns + − + +/− + +

Resources and data + ++ ++ +/− + +/−

Level of detail ++ ++ ++ + ++ − −

Table 2. Simulation capabilities.

Feature Protos ARIS FLOWer FileNet Arena CPN Tools

Performance dimensions − − ++ − − + ++ ++

Distributions + + − − − − ++ ++

Animation − − + − − + ++ +

Scenarios − − − − − +/− + +

Table 3. Output analysis capabilities.

Feature Protos ARIS FLOWer FileNet Arena CPN Tools

Statistics − − − − − − ++ ++

Format − +/− − − +/− + +/−

What-if analysis − − + − − − − − −

Conclusion-making support − − + − − − + − −

fewer assumptions need to be made regarding the behav-

ior of the system being modeled. The step in simulation

analysis covers both output-data and experimental design.

Simulation software, e.g. CPN Tools, provides basic

support for running and analyzing terminated simulations

and has capabilities for providing 95% confidence inter-

vals. An advantage of Coloured Petri Nets is that there

exist the potential for varying the values of non-numeri-

cal parameters when defining different configurations.

We have reviewed the literature and we have found

that Coloured Petri Nets have been used to model differ-

ent types of supply chains. However, they have not been

used to model and simulate textile supply chain. The

innovation of this paper is to show a model built with

modular Coloured Petri Nets. This model was built with

modules for activities of the supply chain textile, e.g.

receiving orders of customers, determination of produc-

tion plan, procurement raw material, transportation of

raw material, production and delivering products to cus-

tomers. This modularized model offers some advantages

to represent complex supply chains according to their

structure and requirements. Thus, we can add modules

easily depending on the necessary activities.

This paper shows the business process modeling and

simulation of a textile supply chain using Colored Petri

nets. The objective of the model has been built to acquire

a better understanding about the behavior of the textile

company in the fulfillment of requests from costumers.

The model has been built using CPN Tools.

2. Supply Chain

“One of the most significant paradigms shift of modern

business management is that individual business no

longer compete as solely autonomous entities, but rather

as supply chain”. Success of the single business will de-

pend on management’s ability to integrate the company’s

intricate network of business relationships [5].

A supply chain is composed of all parties involved di-

rectly and indirectly in the fulfillment of request from a

costumer [6]. Figure 1 shows a supply chain network

formed out of complex intercommunications amongst

various manufacturing companies and service providers

such as raw material vendors, original equipment manu-

facturers, logistics operators, warehouses, distributors,

retailers and customers [7]. There are four characteristics

of a supply chain: first, it goes through several stages of

increasing intra- and inter-organizational, vertical coor-

dination. Second, it includes many independent firms,

F. SANTANA-ROBLES ET AL. 263

Figure 1. The supply chain network.

suggesting that managerial relationship is essential. Third,

a supply chain includes a bi-directional flow of products

and information, and managerial and operational activi-

ties. Fourth, chain members aim to fulfill the goals to

provide high customer value with an optimal use of re-

courses.

In addition, the management of multiple relationships

across the supply chain is referred to as Supply Chain

Management (SCM). SCM deals with total business

process excellence and represents a new way of manag-

ing the business and relationships with others members

of the supply chain. SCM is the integration of key busi-

ness processes from end user through original suppliers

that provides products, services, and information that add

value for customers and others stakeholders [5].

3. Textile Garment Supply Chain

The Textile garment supply chain is comprised of a

group (garment supply chain) and members (retailer,

apparel, maker, textile manufacturer and fibre manufac-

turer). The network is arranged in the order that the flow

of materials, processes, and information occurs between

its members [8-11]. Figure 2 depicts a design of the tex-

tile garment supply chain. Customer demand is relayed

by retailer to apparel maker, textile manufacturer, fibre

manufacturer and ultimately to cotton grower.

4. Colored Petri Nets

Colored Petri Nets (CPN) is a graphical oriented lan-

guage for design, specification, simulation and verifica-

tion of systems. The more compact representation has

been achieved by equipping each token with an attached

data value (called the token color). The data value may

be of arbitrarily complex type. The use of color sets in

CPN is totally analogous to the use of types in program-

ming languages. Typical examples of application areas

are communication protocols, distributed systems, im-

bedded system, automated productions systems, and

workflow analysis [12-14]. On the other hand, CPN

Tools is a tool used to construct, modify, syntax check

and simulate CPN. The most important advantage of us-

ing computerized CPN Tools is the possibility of obtain-

ing better result. The CPN editor provides the user with a

precision and quality which by far exceed the normal

manual drawing capabilities of human beings. A second

advantage is the possibility of obtaining faster results. As

an example, the CPN editor multiplies the speed by

which modifications can be made. A third advantage is

the possibility of making interactive presentations of the

analysis results. The CPN simulator makes it easy to

trace the different occurrence sequences in a CPN [12].

5. Model of the Textile Supply Chain

Figure 3 depicts the supply chain of the textile company

modeled in this paper. Supply chain is linked by five

members: 1) Fibrer manufacturers (wool and synthetic

fibres), 2) Textile and accessories manufacturers, 3) Ap-

parel maker, 4) Distribution center, and 5) Retailers. This

company is apparel marker. It has two types of suppliers

(Textile manufacturer and Accessories Manufacturer)

and three customers (two retailers and one distribution

centre); moreover, it has supplier’s suppliers (fibre ma-

nufacturer) and customer’s customer (two retailers).

In addition, the garment poduction processing steps r

F. SANTANA-ROBLES ET AL.

264

Figure 2. Textile garment supply chain.

Figure 3. The supply chain of the textile c ompany modeled.

and techniques involved in the manufacturing garments

for the large scale of production in industrial basis for

business purposes is called Garments Manufacturing

Technology. The basic Production Flowchart of a gar-

ment includes following activities (some of the process

can be added or removed): Design or Sketch, Pattern

Design, Sample Making, Production Pattern, Grading,

Marker Making, Spreading, Cutting, Shorting and Bun-

dling, Sewing and Assembling, Inspection, Pressing or

Finishing and Packing. In this case study, we focus on

the following activities: Design, Cutting, Sewing and

Assembling, Finishing and Packing.

5.1. Problem Description

The company has high inventory levels due to uncer-

tainty and risks throughout the chain and also high pro-

duction costs due to low fulfillment rate of suppliers. In

addition, the company has low fulfillment rate.

5.2. Model Description

Figure 4 shows the conceptual model of the business

process of the company. This process is modeled through

of modular Colored Petri Nets. Because the Petri nets has

been proven an effective language for modeling concur-

rent and asynchronous systems because of its clear

graphical representation and extensive expressiveness for

modeling both qualitative and quantitative systems. Fos-

tered by its highly human, comprehensible and visual

format, it is also used for modeling structural dynamic

systems in production. A modular colored Petri net

(MCPN) is a modular structure which is composed of

one or more colored Petri net modules. Each colored

F. SANTANA-ROBLES ET AL. 265

Figure 4. Conceptual model of supply chain of the textile c ompany (Source processes, manufacturing and delivery logistics).

Petri net module, in turn, encapsulates a CPN. Our model

begins with the design of clothing; next the catalogues

are made and are delivered to customers. Customers

place orders, company receives these orders and deter-

mines the quantity to order, next company places orders

to suppliers. Suppliers receive orders and check exis-

tences in their inventory, if they have enough raw mate-

rials in stock then schedule products deliveries, generate

the corresponding invoice and deliver products; however,

if suppliers are out stock then they place orders to sup-

pliers, receive products, authorize suppliers’ payment

and schedule products deliveries, invoice and deliver

products. Company receives products, authorizes suppli-

ers’ payment and begins manufacturing clothing, packing

and delivering to customers. The process described

above is shown in Figure 4. In addition, these processes

shown in Figures 4-9 are modeled in CPN Tools. Figure

5 shows the design process, the delivering of the cata-

logues to customers, receiving of orders and compute of

raw materials; similarly, Figure 6 shows the place orders

to suppliers, the receiving to orders suppliers’, checking

existences and confirmation of the orders. Figure 7

shows the compute of the transportation cost from cor-

poration suppliers to company and date of delivering.

Figure 8 shows garment manufacturing process (Design,

Cutting, Sewing and Assembling, Finishing and Packing)

and deliver products to customers. Finally, Figure 9 shows

some results obtained after run the model. It is impor-

tant to note that this textile supply chain is type pull

because trough the customers the supply chain activities

start. Furthermore, trends in clothing markets change

frequently.

6. Conclusions

We described the modeling of the supply chain of the

textile company using Colored Petri nets. CPN are a

powerful tool to model complex system of manufacturing

and logistics process which include: transportation, in-

ventory management, orde processing, warehousing, r

F. SANTANA-ROBLES ET AL.

266

Figure 5. Design process, delivering of the catalogues to customers, receiving of orders and compute of raw materials.

Figure 6. Place orders to suppliers, the receiving to orders suppliers’, checking existences and confirmation of the orders.

distribution and production. With our model we can

know the company performance. We can be able to know

how affect the behavior of the supplier’s company in the

fulfillment of requests from costumers’ company. We

could observe how affect the quantity of existences in

inventory in the manufacturing processes of company;

moreover could know the importance of sharing infor-

mation between members of supply chain to reduce un-

certainty. In the results obtained after run the model we

could observe the average of occupation of the production

F. SANTANA-ROBLES ET AL. 267

Figure 7. Compute of the transportation cost from corporation suppliers’ to company and date of delivering.

Figure 8. Garment manufacturing proc e ss and de live r pr oduc ts to c ustome r s.

equipment. This is important for the reason that in the

textile supply chain require to eliminate waste including

time because retailers require rapid replenishment of

product, and shipments need to meet strict requirements

in terms of the delivery times, order completeness and

accuracy. In addition, is necessary the supply chain need

to find an effective response to constantly changing and

highly competitive business environment. With simula-

tion results to able to react to possible volatile fluctua-

ions in demand. t

F. SANTANA-ROBLES ET AL.

268

Timed statistics

Name Count Avrg Min Max

Marking_size_New_Page’En_produccion1_1 26 0.083333 0 2

Marking_size_New_Page’En_produccion_2_1 26 0.088889 0 3

Marking_size_New_Page’En_produccion_3_1 26 0.000000 0 1

Marking_size_New_Page’En_produccion_4_1 26 0.019444 0 1

Marking_size_New_Page’Recursos_corte_1 26 1.916667 0 2

Marking_size_New_Page’Recursos_acabado_1 26 4.000000 3 4

Marking_size_New_Page’Recursos_confeccion_1 26 4.911111 2 5

Marking_size_New_Page’Recursos_empaquetado_1 26 3.980556 3 4

Figure 9. Results obtained after run the model.

In the further research, we want to extend our model to

calculate some performance attributes of the SCOR

Model such as Delivery Performance, Fill Rates, Perfect

Order Fulfillment and Cost of Goods.

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