Track Description
Managing, integrating and optimizing the entire supply chain are key factors for a successful business. World-class organizations now realize that non-integrated manufacturing processes, non-integrated distribution processes and poor relationships with suppliers and customers are inadequate for their success. The proper management of a supply chain encompasses a set of decisions, which embrace both strategic and tactical levels, and include the supply chain structure (number of echelons required and number of facilities per echelon), the selection of the inventory management policy, the assignment of each market region to one or more locations, the selection of suppliers for sub-assemblies, components and materials, the optimization of transports and connections. Simulation is a powerful tool to observe the behaviour of supply chains, assess their efficiency level, evaluate new management solutions, identify the most suitable configuration and optimize the whole distribution channel. By means of simulation models, researchers are enabled to quantify the benefits resulting from supply chain management, in order to support decision making either at strategic, tactical or operational level.
Given this overview, this track is devoted to studies which exploit simulation to the analysis of supply chains, including the following topics:
· Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Cold Chain Management (CCM);
· supply chain cost control strategies and cost optimization;
· supply chain automation;
· process modelling;
· design and optimization of logistics networks, transport activities and reverse logistics systems;
· planning and design of the supply chain structure;
· inventory management policies;
· use of ICT tools (e.g., RFID, 2D barcode, EDI,...) for the optimization of SCM and CCM;
· data warehousing;
· artificial intelligence tools for SCM and CCM.

Key Dates
Submissions of Extended Abstracts: April 12, 2012
Notification of acceptance:May 12, 2012
Final Camera-Ready Submission: June 12, 2012
Early Registration: July 01, 2012

Authors' Guidelines (further information author’s instruction section)
FIRST SUBMISSION
Extended abstracts (minimum 2 pages), full draft papers or other proposals should be submitted for the review process through the submission section by April 12, 2012.
The extended abstract or the full draft paper must contain title, authors, affiliations, addresses, main body and references.
Each extended abstract or full draft paper will be reviewed by at least two members of the International Program Committee taking into consideration scientific quality, originality and relevance. Only original papers, written in English will be accepted.
The extended abstract or the full draft paper should be prepared by following the final paper formatting. However any type of paper formatting can be accepted for the first submission.

NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE
Notification of acceptance will be sent by May 12, 2012.

CAMERA READY PAPER SUBMISSION
The International Program Committee will accept two types of camera ready papers: extended paper (10 pages, 2 columns); regular paper (6 pages, 2 columns) both for regular and special sessions.
The camera ready paper must adhere to the conference template. The .dot file contains the complete instructions for preparing a camera ready copy for the Proceedings. The final version of the paper must be a PDF file.
Your camera ready paper (extended paper or regular paper) in PDF format must be submitted by using the submission section before the June 12, 2012
The page limit for manuscripts is ten (10) pages (included in the author registration fee). Additional pages will require an additional fee.
If your work must be cleared or approved before publication by your institution, company, or governmental agency, please be sure that process will be completed by the due date above or we will not be able to include it in the CD Conference Proceedings.

CONTACT INFORMATION
For further information please contact Eleonora Bottani(eleonora.bottani@unipr.it) Roberto Montanari(roberto.montanari@unipr.it)or hms@msc-les.org