Re-design of an Interoperable Buyer-seller Automotive Relationship Aided by Computer Simulation

Business Interoperability has become an indisputable reality for companies who cooperate and strive for competitiveness. Supply chain management is one kind of industrial cooperation that relies on large integration and coordination by interoperability factors, which until now is missing a tool to identify and solve its problems. The present article presents a systematic methodology applying axiomatic design theory and computer simulation to: study the impact of interoperability problems on dyad performance in terms of supply chain and interoperability; and the re-design of cooperation from the findings of the performance impact study. A case study applied in an automotive supply chain is presented to demonstrate the application of this method, mapping from the actual interoperability conditions (“as-is”) to a scenario that guarantees higher levels of business interoperability (“to-be”).