Automating Supplier Selection Procedures
Abstract
This dissertation describes a methodology, tools, and implementation techniques of automating supplier selection procedures of a small and medium-sized agile virtual enterprise.
Firstly, a modeling approach is devised that can be used to model the supplier selection procedures of an enterprise. This modeling approach divides the supplier selection procedures broadly into three stages, the pre-selection, selection, and post-selection stages.
Secondly, a methodology is presented for automating the supplier selection procedures. The methodology first divides the selection process into three stages, such as pre-selection, selection, and post-selection stages. Then the methodology identifies the steps within the selection stage that can automated. Automating the steps within the pre-selection and the post-selection stages are not considered here. The methodology also proposes three modules for automating the selection stage. To assist automation, the selection stage is further divided into three sub-stages, namely, bidder selection, partner selection and performance evaluation sub-stages. By this methodology, each sub-stage of the selection stage employs a module for automation; the modules used for automation at these sub-stages are the data collection system, the inference engine and the performance evaluation engine.
Thirdly, modeling, design and implementation of the three modules for automation are described.