A methodology integrating Petri nets and knowledge-based systems to support process family planning

Abstract

Planning production processes for product families have been well recognised as an effective means of achieving successful product family development. However, most existing approaches do not lend themselves to planning production processes with focus on the optimality of the cohort of a product family. This paper addresses process family planning for product families. In view of the advantages of Petri nets (PNs) for modelling large systems, the potential of knowledge-based systems (KBSs) for solving complex problems and the analogy in between, we develop a methodology by integrating PNs and KBSs to support process family planning. An integrated product–process family structure, called IP²S, is proposed to organise all data pertaining to a product family and the corresponding process family, thereby anchoring planning to one platform. With the IP²S, a formal PN model of process family planning is further developed by integrating the principles of several well-defined PN extensions. Thus, this paper also contributes to visualising the dynamic behaviours and reasoning behind process family planning. The methodology is applied to process family planning for a truck family. The preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility and potential of using the methodology to support process family planning.

Keywords:

• product family
• process family
• production processes
• Petri net
• knowledge-based system

Notes

While the major part of the work was completed when the first/corresponding author was working with the University of Groningen, part of the work was completed in her current institute: Department of Management, IESEG School of Management, Lille - Paris, France.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Linda L. Zhang

While the major part of the work was completed when the first/corresponding author was working with the University of Groningen, part of the work was completed in her current institute: Department of Management, IESEG School of Management, Lille - Paris, France.