Modeling Process Platforms based on An Object-Oriented Visual Diagrammatic Modeling Language

Linda Zhang (1)

1 Operations

Process platforms have been recognized as a promising means of fulfilling a high variety of customized products while achieving a near mass production efficiency. Attempting to assist both academics and practioners alike to better understand, implement and use process platforms, this work addresses the underlying logic of coping with the challenges in high variety production by adopting process platforms. Accordingly, we propose to model process platforms with focus on the application processes. In view of the significance of dynamic modeling and visualization in shedding light on the logic of any processes, this study introduces a visual diagrammatic modeling language based on object-oriented (OO) techniques, named as OOVDML. With the graphical notations, uniquely shaped symbols, syntax and semantics, control mechanisms and arrangement rules, the OOVDML not only captures the logic of process platform's application, but also provides a visualization of their behaviors in a holistic view. Moreover, incorporating OO modeling allows readers to focus on their own interests. We approach to modeling process platform's application with respect to activities pertaining to customer order processing, engineering change control and production job planning. Also reported is an industrial example of electronics products. The results of the case study not only show the suitability of the OOVDML but also shed light on the dynamic behaviors of process platforms.

Mots clés: Physical Sciences

Linda Zhang. Modeling Process Platforms based on An Object-Oriented Visual Diagrammatic Modeling Language. International Journal of Production Research, 2009, 47 (16), pp.4413-4435. ⟨10.1080/00207540801950144⟩. ⟨hal-00513029⟩