Dávid Karnok

Planning in concert: A logistics platform for production networks

In this paper the authors consider supply planning in a production network as a distributed effort for matching future demand and supply by relying on asymmetric and partly uncertain information. Even though decisions are made autonomously and locally, partners should act in a concerted way. For approaching the two main conflicting goals of a high service level and low overall costs throughout the network, there is a need for a specific coordination media for managing the intentions and interactions of the partners. Starting from the design principles, the authors describe a logistics platform that provides a complex service for communicating and evaluating all relevant information that may influence the operation of supply channels. A particular interest is in coordinating a focal supply network that produces customised mass products. The implementation technologies of the system are outlined together with the first lessons of the deployed application.

Simulation as one of the core technologies for digital enterprises: assessment of hybrid rescheduling methods

The current paper tackles the problem of managing the uncertainties during the execution of predictive schedules in a dynamic environment. The dynamic environment in question is represented by a simulation model – connected to a production scheduler system – with flexible modelling capabilities. The paper addresses the simulation module of the proposed architecture highlighting its main functionalities and advantages, compared to former simulation-based solutions. By applying the proposed architecture, which constitutes a coherent part of a digital enterprise approach, the solution methods for stability-oriented rescheduling can be thoroughly tested and analysed. An evaluation of several scenarios of the rescheduling threshold and the timing of rescheduling are also presented in an industrial case-study.

Data type definition and handling for supporting interoperability across organizational borders

Organisational heterogeneity—especially in networks where new members may join at any time—requires ongoing actions to maintain interoperability. On the level of data interoperability, this highlights the importance of various aspects of data model and dataflow design, as well as handling of data at run-time. The latter is certain to require automated means of data model negotiation, and—while today’s design processes are far from fully automated—such means can leverage productivity and support verification procedures in data modelling and dataflow design as well. The paper presents results in one possible approach to data type definition and manipulation, through the example of the ADVANCE dataflow engine and its type-related features. Aside from an XML-based type system, type inference algorithms are presented which are employed both during design and flow execution.

Real-time, cooperative enterprises for customized mass production; challenges and solution approaches

Abstract The paper underlines the main requirements of customized mass production, with special emphasis on the real-time ability and cooperativeness. Main goals of a large-scale national industry-academia R&D project aimed at improving the performance of a production network that produces consumer goods in large quantities and variability are highlighted. An integrated approach is presented for planning the behavior of the system at network-, factory- and plant level, as well as for adapting various plans to real execution conditions.

Determination of routings and process time information from event logs

Abstract Production planning and scheduling decisions are based on underlying models and their parameters which are typically considered granted, accurate and up-to-date. However, changes and uncertainties may force the production to change, shift and adapt in its settings, consequently, the models and parameters used in the planning and execution phases lose their validity. Usually, these changes are not explicitly known, but are incorporated the manufacturing execution system data. To cope with the missing, uncertain or wrong data, process and data mining should be repeatedly employed on the available manufacturing event logs. The paper describes an analysis framework which is able to extract the required information from large-scale and noisy event logs and offers the ability to infer and restore a more realistic history of the underlying manufacturing process hidden by random noise and consequent errors.

Novel IT Approaches and Solutions towards Real-time, Cooperative Enterprises

Abstract In addition of the four main R&D directions, i.e., adaptive manufacturing, digital manufacturing, knowledge-based manufacturing, and networked manufacturing, emphasized by the European initiative Manufuture, two additional requirements, i.e., the real-timeness and cooperativeness of production structures are also outlined in the paper, which are of high and increasing importance. The paper also underlines the main requirements of customized mass production, with special emphasis on the real-time ability and cooperativeness. Main goals of a large-scale national industry-academia R&D project aimed at improving the performance of a production network that produces consumer goods in large quantities and variability are highlighted. An integrated approach is presented for planning the behavior of the system at network-, factory- and plant level, as well as for adapting various plans to real execution conditions.