Autonomic computing for scheduling in manufacturing systems

We describe a novel approach to scheduling resolution by combining Autonomic Computing (AC), Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) and Nature Inspired Optimization Techniques (NIT). Autonomic Computing has emerged as paradigm aiming at embedding applications with a management structure similar to a central nervous system. A natural Autonomic Computing evolution in relation to Current Computing is to provide systems with Self-Managing ability with a minimum human interference. In this paper we envisage the use of Multi-Agent Systems paradigm for supporting dynamic and distributed scheduling in Manufacturing Systems with Autonomic properties, in order to reduce the complexity of managing systems and human interference. Additionally, we consider the resolution of realistic problems. The scheduling of a Cutting and Treatment Stainless Steel Sheet Line will be evaluated. Results show that proposed approach has advantages when compared with other scheduling systems

MASDScheGATS: a prototype system for dynamic scheduling

A manufacturing system has a natural dynamic nature observed through several kinds of random occurrences and perturbations on working conditions and requirements over time. For this kind of environment it is important the ability to efficient and effectively adapt, on a continuous basis, existing schedules according to the referred disturbances, keeping performance levels. The application of Meta-Heuristics and Multi-Agent Systems to the resolution of this class of real world scheduling problems seems really promising. This paper presents a prototype for MASDScheGATS (Multi-Agent System for Distributed Manufacturing Scheduling with Genetic Algorithms and Tabu Search)

MASDScheGATS - Scheduling System for Dynamic Manufacturing Environmemts

This chapter addresses the resolution of scheduling in manufacturing systems subject to perturbations. The planning of Manufacturing Systems involves frequently the resolution of a huge amount and variety of combinatorial optimisation problems with an important impact on the performance of manufacturing organisations. Examples of those problems are the sequencing and scheduling problems in manufacturing management, routing and transportation, layout design and timetabling problems

Management, Technology and Learning for Individuals, Organisations and Society in Turbulent Environments

This book presents the collection of fifty two papers which were presented on the First International Conference on BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY ’08 - Management, Technology and Learning for Individuals, Organisations and Society in Turbulent Environments, held in Ofir, Portugal, from 25th to 27th of June, 2008. The main motive of the meeting was the growing awareness of the importance of the sustainability issue. This importance had emerged from the growing uncertainty of the market behaviour that leads to the characterization of the market, i.e. environment, as turbulent. Actually, the characterization of the environment as uncertain and turbulent reflects the fact that the traditional technocratic and/or socio-technical approaches cannot effectively and efficiently lead with the present situation. In other words, the rise of the sustainability issue means the quest for new instruments to deal with uncertainty and/or turbulence. The sustainability issue has a complex nature and solutions are sought in a wide range of domains and instruments to achieve and manage it. The domains range from environmental sustainability (referring to natural environment) through organisational and business sustainability towards social sustainability. Concerning the instruments for sustainability, they range from traditional engineering and management methodologies towards “soft” instruments such as knowledge, learning, creativity. The papers in this book address virtually whole sustainability problems space in a greater or lesser extent. However, although the uncertainty and/or turbulence, or in other words the dynamic properties, come from coupling of management, technology, learning, individuals, organisations and society, meaning that everything is at the same time effect and cause, we wanted to put the emphasis on business with the intention to address primarily the companies and their businesses. From this reason, the main title of the book is “Business Sustainability” but with the approach of coupling Management, Technology and Learning for individuals, organisations and society in Turbulent Environments. Concerning the First International Conference on BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, its particularity was that it had served primarily as a learning environment in which the papers published in this book were the ground for further individual and collective growth in understanding and perception of sustainability and capacity for building new instruments for business sustainability. In that respect, the methodology of the conference work was basically dialogical, meaning promoting dialog on the papers, but also including formal paper presentations. In this way, the conference presented a rich space for satisfying different authors’ and participants’ needs. Additionally, promoting the widest and global learning environment and participativeness, the Conference Organisation provided the broadcasting over Internet of the Conference sessions, dialogical and formal presentations, for all authors’ and participants’ institutions, as an innovative Conference feature. In these terms, this book could also be understood as a complementary instrument to the Conference authors’ and participants’, but also to the wider readerships’ interested in the sustainability issues. The book brought together 97 authors from 10 countries, namely from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Sweden and United Kingdom. The authors “ranged” from senior and renowned scientists to young researchers providing a rich and learning environment. At the end, the editors hope and would like that this book will be useful, meeting the expectation of the authors and wider readership and serving for enhancing the individual and collective learning, and to incentive further scientific development and creation of new papers. Also, the editors would use this opportunity to announce the intention to continue with new editions of the conference and subsequent editions of accompanying books on the subject of BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, the second of which is planned for year 2011.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Modèle multi-agents d'aide à la décision pour la gestion des services préhospitaliers d'urgence

La nécessité de mieux comprendre et maîtriser la complexité des systèmes d’information exige le développement de nouvelles méthodes de modélisation et de résolution de problèmes. Ce travail de recherche s’intéresse à la conception et la modélisation d’un système d’aide à la décision dans lequel le savoir et les compétences de l’expert permettent d’analyser et de proposer de nouveaux modèles multi-agents. Le développement d’un tel modèle relève un certain nombre de difficultés de conception, liés notamment à l’efficience et l’efficacité du processus de calcul et de résolution du problème, auxquels on apporte des éléments de solution. Beaucoup de systèmes complexes se caractérisent par des dynamiques non linéaires, désordonnées et aléatoires, en résumé compliquées dans le sens où leur assimilation demande du temps et du talent. Les méthodes mathématiques classiques (équations différentielles, modèles probabilistes, etc.) peuvent s’avérer inappropriées pour modéliser de tels systèmes dans lesquels l’interaction occupe un rôle très important. La modélisation à base d’agents réactifs est l’une des techniques de modélisation microscopique les plus répandues. Pourquoi choisir une modélisation orientée agent plutôt qu’un autre méta-modèle de modélisation? Premièrement, le modèle agent est très riche. Il aide ainsi le concepteur à schématiser facilement des processus qualitatifs et quantitatifs et permet d’interagir des entités hétérogènes aux architectures diverses. Pourtant, la raison principale est souvent liée à la vocation de modélisation : bien appréhender la relation entre actions/comportements individuels et action/comportement collectif. Ce travail est mené principalement dans un cadre applicatif lié au problème de planification et de gestion des services préhospitaliers d’urgence (SPU). En effet, on trouve un ensemble de recherches qui traitent le sujet de la gestion et de la planification des SPU. Chaque travail de recherche traite une problématique bien spécifique de ce domaine, soit la confection des horaires des ambulanciers, soit la gestion de la demande en services préhospitaliers, ou la gestion des véhicules/ambulances, etc. Cette thèse s’intéresse à la problématique de planification des services préhospitaliers d’urgence afin de mieux répondre à la demande de service et par conséquence diminuer le temps-réponse des ambulanciers. Elle adopte une approche de résolution globale et intégrée. Elle vise la proposition d’un modèle sous forme de différentes composantes d’aide à la décision. Elle intègre des techniques d’optimisation touchant à la fois la planification des horaires, la gestion des remplacements, la gestion de la flotte de véhicules, la gestion de la capacité des dépôts, la couverture de la demande et la gestion des événements spéciaux. Le modèle proposé est basé sur une architecture multi-agents et permet de répondre aux contraintes et aux aléas survenus lors de la planification des SPU. Le travail réalisé dans le cadre de cette thèse est articulé autour de trois articles suivants : • « Integrated and global approach (IGAP) based on multi-agent systems for the management of prehospital emergency services », soumis à Computers & Industrial Engineering de Elsevier. Cet article présente une introduction aux systèmes multiagents appliqués aux SPU et propose une nouvelle approche globale et intégrée pour sa résolution appelée IGAP. • « Scheduling Model for Prehospital Emergency Services », soumis à l’European Journal of Operational Research de Elsevier. Cet article traite le problème de confection d’horaires des techniciens ambulanciers. Notre contribution réside dans la proposition d’un modèle mathématique appelé « set covering » qui résout un problème de couverture intégré dans un nouveau système suffisamment flexible de confection d’horaires. • « Multi-Agent Decision-Making Support Model for the Management of Prehospital Emergency Services », publié dans International Journal of Machine Learning and Computing, de IACSIT. Cet article porte sur le thème de la modélisation et de l’aide à la décision dans le cadre des systèmes complexes dont on propose une architecture à base d’agents d’aide à la décision dédiée à la gestion des services préhospitaliers d’urgence