Many industries have seized substantial benefits by recognizing the possibilities of a formal interaction between different entities of a supply chain. To enhance decision-making, catalyzed by the increase in data availability and computer power, methods from the field of Operations Research have been applied successfully to improve supply chain performance. Recent events, such as the COVID pandemic and increased political tension between various nations, have revealed the vulnerability of global supply chains and created awareness of the need for more resilience and sustainability. In this thesis, we will study the capability of existing Operations Research methods to deal with today’s supply chain challenges. More specifically, we aim to focus on applications from aerospace and defense industry. Both industries are characterized by a particular supply chain structure as well as current practices. We will focus on the development of mathematical models to mimic the decision-making process within the context of the aerospace and defense industry, and propose dedicated solution algorithms to solve these problems. By means of extensive simulation, we aim to understand the mechanics behind the decision-making process and provide managerial insights at operational, tactical and strategic level. Furthermore, we envisage a validation of the developed solution techniques through collaboration with industry partners.
