Semantic Web for the Supply Chain

The "Semantic Web" is introduced via Wikipedia as:

"...a project that intends to create a universal medium for information exchange by putting documents with computer-processable meaning (semantics) on the World Wide Web...the Semantic Web extends the Web through the use of standards, markup languages and related processing tools."

Another term for the semantic Web, as I found out today, is "Web 3.0" and was brought to my attention by Enterra Solutions' Tom Barnett, who references this general description by Steve DeAngelis at his Enterprise Resilience Management Blog. In summary, Steve states that Web 3.0:

"...intends on taking advantage of grid computing (or what IBM is trying to market as "utility computing") to make surfing a faster and more valuable experience. It is called the semantic Web because it will be able to understand more fully what it is that a surfer is looking for."

This is fleshed out in Steve's excerpting of an article from the New York Times by John Markoff, cut down and merged further for convenience below, that focuses on entrepreneurs:

"Their goal is to add a layer of meaning on top of the existing Web that would make it less of a catalog and more of a guide — and even provide the foundation for systems that can reason in a human fashion...in the future, more powerful systems could act as personal advisers in areas as diverse as financial planning, with an intelligent system mapping out a retirement plan for a couple, for instance, or educational consulting, with the Web helping a high school student identify the right college...the Holy Grail for developers of the semantic Web is to build a system that can give a reasonable and complete response to a simple question like: “I’m looking for a warm place to vacation and I have a budget of $3,000. Oh, and I have an 11-year-old child.”

That last sentence sounded eerily familiar to me when I read it, as did the entire post by Steve--familiar in the sense that I had either covered these concepts here without directly referring to the semantic Web, or discovered some of this vision and these concepts in a course I took almost exactly three years ago in Michigan State's MBA program.

As Steve discusses further in his post, the capabilities of a semantic Web tool is quite important to the Development-in-a-Box (DiB) solutions being developed for deployment by Enterra:

"At Enterra Solutions, we are aware of both the promise and the challenges associated with the semantic Web. We have developed Semantic Paths (TM) for use in our systems and have already begun enjoying the benefits of this relational tool when it comes to bundling rule sets into business processes."

Returning to Steve's use of the term "grid computing," I am reminded of the time I tackled DiB as the third piece in looking at how the four flows of globalization as discussed by Barnett can be cross-sectioned into modules using the five architectures of high performance supply chains as advocated by Dr. Cavinato of Thunderbird. After Steve's discussion of Web 3.0, I realized that my insertion of Enterra's DiB solution (Enterprise Resilience Management Framework) to what I dubbed the "FAR Matrix" really leverages a semantic Web-type component (Semantic Paths above) that enables the intelligent alignment of solution modules for a particular supply chain. (Below is a JPEG of the single FAR Matrix PPT slide).

In other words, for any particular supply chain, not only will the architectures necessary to deliver value need to be in place but also those architectures need to reflect the flows of other economic activities, politics (laws and regulations), security and people that shape the supply chain environment end-to-end. The semantic Web, or DiB component, in the FAR matrix thus can help in initial supply chain configuration and in the continuing need for innovation towards establishing resilience. At the same time, such a component can also enhanced advanced planning solutions aimed at influencing a supply chain environment for delivering greater value to society--particularly in the area of security and laws and regulations.

As was written by me earlier this year and once referenced by Steve in April:

"...architectures created for economic flows alone are quite vulnerable to parallel failings in non-integrated architectures designed for political, security and people flows. This is where the ERM framework says “Oh, for that module you are working on, and with the given constraints, these are the best practices catalogued for a matching political flow informational architecture on immigration process management.” How cool would that be?"

My statement above very basically describes the semantic Web component providing an "answer" to a particular question or query as mentioned above my Mr. Markoff. At the time I wrote the above, it didn't really hit me that this was essentially a semantic Web-type component. Now, suddenly, I am reminded of my studies at MSU's Broad School in a course taught by Bill McCarthy called "Enterprise Database Systems."

In regards to supply chain applications, Bill collaborated with a Robert Haugen to publish back in January 2000 an article titled "REA, a Semantic Model for Internet Supply Chain Collaboration." I won't go into the article too deeply, but essentially the idea is posited in this case by saying that:

"A semantic model describes the content of the semantic Web: that is, what classes of objects, relationships, and functions are involved in supply chain collaboration (and)...can link economic events together across different companies, industries, and nations."

Utilizing the FAR Matrix, we can also integrate not just economic events, but all political, security and people flow events that impact the performance of supply chains. The fact that I can link the concepts being engaged on here and at Steve's blog to my past coursework is very exciting, almost in a "Back to the Future" way.

I am sure that for some readers this may not exactly be the most exciting of material, and fairly abstract in nature, but for supply chain managers semantic Web-oriented applications are sure to bring quite transformative changes--leaps in improvement versus smaller, iterative steps--that will greatly impact all industries.

(Important Announcement): Beginning in December, I am very excited to make my own entry into the world of supply chain IT applications by joining Manhattan Associates as a senior consultant. For those unaware, Manhattan Associates is:

"...the leading provider of supply chain planning and execution solutions (and)...offers easy-to-use solutions to make your supply chain work better from demand to consumption."

As Steve DeAngelis often advocates Enterra Solutions at his blog, I expect to be biased towards Manhattan's supply chain solutions in my own future writing as I begin my new job. However, I don't intend to transform this blog into a platform for promoting Manhattan solutions in regards to different supply chain issues of the day, nor will I be revealing any specific dealings or projects that Manhattan is engaged in for its business.

Rather, I definitely expect to write increasingly more about the role of information architectures in high-performance supply chains, and if this indirectly results in improving my company's opportunities and business, then all the better. How my new job will affect the frequency of my writing is yet to be seen as the work culture (foreign company in Japan) will be quite different from my current work environment (domestic Japanese); but I am looking forward to an even better second year discussing supply chain logistics in Asia.

UPDATE: More commentary on Steve's post at Dan's tdaxp.

Comments

[PenGun]

Those of us in the technical end of the pool have watched the emergence of quite a few operations based on what is pretty well pure bullshit.

This looks to be one of them. Those who do not understand what databases do can be fairly easily conned as to the magical possilbilites available.

Here's a clue. The banks have been building systems for many years that have to operate under constant attack by very intelligent people. Those are resiliant systems with all kinds of cute and fairly smart systems to both protect and act proactivly against the slow.

Another clue. Databases don't talk to each other ... it's a fundamental misunderstanding revealing lack of real knowledge. I dunno what the suposed coders are hacking up at Steve's but I doubt it's even new.

PenGun

[Shawn in Tokyo]

Hi PenGun,

Thanks for your comment, but it is obvious you are not too keen on Enterra, as I have seen a similar post of yours at Tom Barnett's site. I am myself just an interested observer and looking at applications for my industry.

Whether what Steve is doing is new or not doesn't matter if it succeeds in creating value where none existed before and is better than its competitors.

If you are on the technical side of the industry, I don't have to tell you there are a number of technologies that were dismissed in the past as having no future, and yet were later quite successful. Of course, other concepts and technologies have come and gone without much success if any.

I suggest providing more constructive critiques that could help further the collective knowledge of us all rather than simply critique in a condescending manner. I am sure many would appreciate help understanding the benefits and limitations of current database technology in relation to the concepts Enterra has put forth. And also, perhaps, how future database technology could enhance such a service solution.

[Juno888]

Of course, other concepts and technologies have come and gone without much success if any.