SAP’s new intelligent agent technology, due for release next year, will be able to continuously gather both demand and supply data from all points within a manufacturer's network, and react accordingly to balance orders with production needs.
As part of the mySAP Supply Chain Management system, Claus Heinrich, SAP executive board member, says the ultimate goal is to create a truly adaptive supply network that can sense and respond to rapidly evolving conditions so that partners can intelligently co-operate to keep demand and supply in close alignment and efficiently coordinate the fulfillment process.
"We believe that intelligent agents will be the key to resolving the increasing challenges companies are faced with in participating and managing global adaptive supply networks."
SAP is working with BiosGroup Inc, a US consulting and software firm specialising in the use of complexity science and agent-based concepts, to define and create adaptive intelligent agents. SAP plans to release the first version of intelligent agents during the second quarter of 2002.
"The supply network of the future will closely resemble complex adaptive systems, where multiple independent agents make local decisions leading to complex interactions," says Stuart Kauffman, founding general partner and chief scientific officer of BiosGroup.
"As we have seen from our work with clients like Procter & Gamble Co., intelligent agent technology can reduce out-of-stocks and excess inventory by as much as 75%."