OBJECTIVE PROGRAM

• Develop an agile monitoring system for supplier risks and opportunities
• Design an instrumented methodology for designing and/or improving corporate resilience

The aim is to provide decision-makers with the keys to improve the agility and resilience of their supply chains by better addressing the risks and opportunities to which their activity is subject. The work will be based on the ability to develop models to:

• Establish warnings for the more or less near future;
• Assess the supposed consequences of these events (risks or opportunities) on the activity of the supply chain concerned;
• Suggest, where appropriate, action plans to limit the impact of the risks or to better benefit from the opportunities.

siren.png, par mylene

In order to produce these elements, the research program proposes to develop "immersive" solutions based on technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, serious multi-player games, holistic simulation, interactive dashboards, cockpits and control towers, etc. This "immersive" approach should enable decision-makers to benefit as much as possible from an broadened environment offering a clear, dynamic, interactive and trustworthy vision to support their decision-making.

In practical terms, the work of the research program is implemented around doctoral theses spread over the five years covered by the collaboration contract.

These doctoral theses systematically fall within the context of the SIReN International Associated Laboratory with IMT Mines Albi and Georgia Tech.

Thibaut Cerabona thesis

Study of a decision-support approach in the management of collaborative networks based on the use of virtual reality: application to supply chain (2019 - 2022)

thibaut_carabona.jpg, par jfages

The management of a collaborative network (such as a supply chain) corresponds basically to the pursuit of objectives. These objectives can be of different types but they are mainly represented by performance indicators (KPIs).

Consequently, the management of a collaborative network seeks to make its performance indicators tend towards predefined, or to be defined, target values. So, basically, the management of any collaborative network aims to control the trajectory of this system within the repository of its KPIs. The way these KPIs evolve is the consequence of changes due to the realization of "potentialities", which then become "realities". Globally, if the consequences of a "potentiality" are positive with respect to the targeted KPIs (allowing the system to come up close to them), the "potentiality" is an opportunity. Equally, if the consequences move the system away from the target values for its KPIs, the "potentiality" represents a risk.

The thesis subject is interested on the one hand in the application of this theoretical and mathematical model to monitor the trajectory of collaborative networks within the KPI repository. An important component of this work is the study of the areas of the KPI space that are eligible, available, and easily accessible. On the other hand, this subject is also interested in the visualization of the trajectory and its monitoring in a context of virtual reality.

Nafe Moradkhani thesis

Study of a decision-support approach in the management of sociotechnical systems, based on the physical principles of point and solid mechanics

(2019 - 2022)

nafe_moradkhani.jpg, par mylene

Again, managing a sociotechnical system is quite naturally analogous to trying to achieve objectives. These objectives may be of different types but they are mainly represented by performance indicators (KPIs). Of course, some intangible objectives may not be represented by KPIs, but overall, it can be considered that the vast majority of objectives may be evaluated using KPIs.

Therefore, the objective of managing a sociotechnical system is to try to move its performance indicators towards predefined target values. Thus, basically, the management of any system aims to monitor the trajectory of this system within the reference frame of its KPIs. The way these KPIs evolve is the consequence of changes due to the realization of "potentialities", which then become "realities". Over all, if the consequences of a "potentiality" are positive with respect to the targeted KPIs (allowing the system to come up close to them), the "potentiality" is an opportunity. Equally, if the consequences move the system away from the target values for its KPIs, the "potentiality" represents a risk.

The thesis subject is interested on the one hand in the design of such theoretical and mathematical model to represent risks and opportunities as forces acting within the KPI repository. On the other hand, this subject is also interested in the application of this theoretical and mathematical model to formalize the trajectory of a system within the range of its KPIs in order to propose a solution for decision support.

The SCAN joint laboratory is one of the flagship projects of the International Associated Laboratory "Sentient Immersive Response Networks Lab (SIReN Lab)" jointly run by Georgia Tech (USA) and IMT Mines Albi.

This facility develops and experiments sensitive and immersive decision support systems for networks of collaborative organizations. It is particularly involved in the capacity of these networks to organize themselves in order to respond effectively to a need, whether commercial or societal in nature. The objective is to immerse all the parties involved in these networks in a common decision-making environment allowing them to combine their capacities to respond more effectively to a complex and potentially disruptive situation.

Ultimately, the International Associated Laboratory seeks to take full advantage of the new technologies available today (virtual reality, decision-making cockpit and control tower, augmented reality, serious multi-player games, interactive dashboards, etc.) to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and agility of organizational networks.

It relies in particular on the IOMEGA VR platform located in the premises of IMT Mines Albi.