@misc{9242543,
  abstract     = {{Global manufacturing companies operate in increasingly uncertain and complex environments where changes

in sourcing strategies, supplier structures and logistics networks create significant challenges for decision-
making. Traditional analytical methods often struggle to capture the dynamic and interconnected nature of

modern supply chains, limiting their ability to support proactive evaluation of structural changes. Simulation-
based decision support offers opportunities to evaluate alternative future scenarios and understand system

behavior before implementing changes. However, effective simulation requires organizational and technical

prerequisites that remain insufficiently understood in industrial settings. This study investigates what is re-
quired to enable simulation-based decision support for logistics network design within a large manufacturing

company.

The study was conducted as a case study at Scania’s Regional Material Control Nordic organization and com-
bined Case Study Research with Design Science Research. The research explored current decision-making

practices, organizational structures and information flows related to inbound logistics and supply base changes.

Data collection included interviews with stakeholders across logistics, procurement and external experts, to-
gether with internal documentation, archival records and observations. Rather than developing a simulation

model, the study focused on identifying the requirements needed to enable future simulation capabilities.
The findings show that logistics network decisions are influenced by fragmented information flows, limited

cross-functional visibility and insufficient data structures connecting strategic sourcing decisions with opera-
tional logistics performance. Several barriers to simulation readiness were identified, including data availabil-
ity limitations, organizational disconnects and unclear ownership of required information. To address these

challenges, the study developed a conceptual simulation architecture that defines required entities, key perfor-
mance indicators, data requirements and organizational prerequisites. The analysis guided the creation of a

simulation framework which includes a simulation readiness assessment of Scania and a five-phase roadmap
outlining the activities needed to establish simulation readiness.
The study contributes to supply chain design literature by extending understanding of simulation readiness
as an organizational capability rather than solely a technical implementation challenge. From a practical
perspective, the findings provide Scania with a structured foundation for developing future simulation-based
decision support capabilities that can strengthen proactive logistics network design and evaluation under
increasing supply chain uncertainty.
Contribution: This thesis has been a complete collaboration between the two authors. Each author has been
involved in every part of the research process and contributed equally.}},
  author       = {{Sandell Ferrada, Olle and Gadelii, Edvin}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR SIMULATION- BASED SUPPLY CHAIN DESIGN AT SCANIA}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}