ABSTRACT

Supply chain system is a complex giant system with dissipative structure features. Through analyzing the entropy flow of supply chain system, this paper proposes supply chain system entropy change model on considering the factors that affect supply chain system entropy change, and puts forward the calculation model of brittle contact entropy based on the supply chain system entropy change model and supply chain system brittleness theory. We can not only measure and analyze supply chain system’s brittleness in a quantitative way, but also further explore the calculation of brittle contact entropy between subsystems within a brittleness unit. Finally, in order to analyze, control and monitor the brittleness of supply chain system, a numerical example is used to calculate and analyze the brittleness of supply chain.

 KEY WORDS

Self-organization, Supply chain management, Entropy theory, Brittle contact entropy

 1.  Introduction

 Supply chain is aman-made integrated socio-economic systemwhichinvolvessuppliers, manufacturers, vendors and customersand so on. It not only includes entities to run, but also has the provision of services and information,and a lot of energy and material exchange with the external environment, so it is a complex giant system.The complexity makesthe supply chain show great instability in the process of design, operation and development. Brittleness isa basic property of complex systems, and it is often easier to collapse when a complex systemis hit bythe outside world, then the original orderly status is damagedand a new state of disorderwill be formed; however there are not any obvious signs before itscollapse.

Self-organization theory is agroup of theories whichinclude the theory of dissipative structure, catastrophe theory, bifurcation theory, chaos theory, synergeticand so on. The buildingand operating of complex supply chain system is a self-organizing and adaptive process. Self-organization theory isthe theoretical foundation of supply chain system, in this paperthrough analyzing the dissipative structure of complex supply chain system, entropy theory of self-organization theory is applied to complex supply chain system’sbrittlenessresearch.Through a systematic analysis of entropy flow, we construct a supply chain system entropy and brittle contact entropy modelin order tobe able to not only quantitativelyanalysesbrittlefactorsand brittle cases that resulting the collapse of supply chain, to explain causes of brittleness,but alsocan have their controlon the conditionsof producingand put forward proposals to deal with.