Conception of a Simulation Model for Business Continuity Management Against Food Supply Chain Disruptions

This paper focusses on robust decision-making in disaster response where pre-existing logistical structures have not been destructed yet but where a great risk of delayed consequences exists if the functioning of these structures is not strengthened. Responsible decision-makers are companies as operators of the logistical structures themselves, particularly those whose businesses refer to the critical infrastructure sectors food, water, health care, and energy. This paper outlines a conception of a simulation model which combines approaches of scenario-based optimization, stress testing, and robustness measurement.The conception is developed for a decision problem of a food retail company where a society must be prevented from threatening food shortages due to a flu epidemic in Berlin, Germany.