Discrete-event simulation in logistics: a critical review and framework for classification

This paper has been designed in the form a systematic literature review targeting 164 papers between 2009 and 2020, intended for evaluating the current state-of-the-art of simulation usage in the logistics and supply chain management fields. This study grounds on the previous publication by Manuj et al. (2009), who have provided a detailed 8-step approach to be followed for a rigorous implementation of discrete-event simulation (DES). Starting from this previous study, this paper first of all evaluates the rigor in the application of DES in the logistics and supply chain management literature, in terms of the consistency of the published studies with the guideline proposed by Manuj et al. (2009). A second purpose of this research is to delineate a new method for classifying the published research on DES on the basis of the intrinsic quality of research, besides the more traditional analyses of journals and authors based on number of publications and citations.