Multi-echelon supply chain simulation using metamodel

Metamodels are abstractions of the simulation model that expose the system¿s input-output relationship through simple mathematical expression (Santos and Santos 2007). It provides an analytical way to study the behavior of a complex system. Multi-echelon supply chain are one of the complex systems. It is hard if not impossible to draw close-form analytical solutions due to the complexities of inventory system and the underlying uncertainty. In this paper, we apply the methodology of simulation metamodel to a multi-echelon supply chain problem and make statistically analysis of the parameters. The model is validated using training experiment conditions.