Towards Co-Designing Manufacturing Supply Networks for Robustness and Resilience—A Decision-Based Design Perspective

Abstract

Abstract. Manufacturing Supply Networks (MSNs) involve interrelated groups making network-specific and group-specific decisions across multiple levels of a decision hierarchy to realize correlated network and group performances. Uncertainties and disruptions adversely impact the network and group performances. Therefore, simultaneously realizing (co-realizing) network and group performances requires co–designing MSNs, considering the correlations, uncertainties, and disruptions involved. Limited, incomplete, and inaccurate information during the early stages of design necessitates focusing on design exploration. Facilitating “co–design exploration”—simultaneously exploring network and group solution spaces—is therefore crucial. The Co–Design Exploration of MSNs for Resilience (CoDE-MR) framework facilitates co–design exploration, considering mitigation of disruption impacts. However, it does not consider the recovery aspect of resilience and the impacts of uncertainties. The Co–Design Exploration of MSNs for Robustness and Resilience (CoDE-MRR) framework, a modified form of the CoDE-MR framework, is presented in this paper to bridge this gap. The CoDE-MRR framework supports considering network–group performance correlations, managing impacts of uncertainties and disruptions (mitigation and recovery), and co–design exploration to identify solutions that ensure satisfactory network and group performances under uncertainties and disruptions. The framework integrates the coupled–compromise decision support problem construct with the resilience metric—Resilience Index, inventory-based recovery strategies, the robust design metric—Design Capability Index, and interpretable Self-Organizing Map-based visualization to facilitate co-design exploration of MSNs for robustness and resilience. The framework's efficacy is demonstrated using a steel Manufacturing Supply Network example.