JR Centre for Real-time Value Network Visibility (LIVE)

This JR Centre researches ways of visualising critical elements in value networks, from the flow of materials to information and finance, in real time. The aim is to identify disruptions in good time and minimise their extent.

Value networks consist of independent companies (nodes) and their interrelationships (edges). Such value networks can be very complex and comprise many different nodes at different times, from the transport of materials to information and financial flows. The increasingly global distribution and close networking means that a disruption in one node or at one edge has a direct impact on the entire network. The interaction of nodes and edges must therefore be continuously monitored and evaluated in order to create transparency for the companies involved and to counteract risks at an early stage, thus minimising their impact and severity. However, continuously monitoring the entire network is too complex and those nodes and edges that are particularly critical must be identified. To date, there is no generally applicable method for visualising networks, including cross-company flows, in real time and continuously monitoring their criticality. This JR Centre therefore aims to understand and operationalise criticality in networks, thus creating transparency in real time and enabling the continuous evaluation and monitoring of critical nodes and edges. The result should be a so-called "control tower" from which relevant network data can be monitored in one place, data can be distributed intelligently and decision-makers can be optimally supported.

In contrast to previous methods, which were static and focused on a few dimensions, this JR Centre will allow dynamic, real-time network evaluation at node and network level by bringing together different data accesses, data sources, formats and time dimensions.