A Simulation Model Articulation of the REA Ontology

This paper demonstrates how the REA enterprise ontology can be used to construct simulation models for business processes, value chains and collaboration spaces in supply chains. These models support various high-level and operational management simulation applications, e.g. the analysis of enterprise sustainability and day-to-day planning. First, the basic constructs of the REA ontology and the ExSpect modelling language for simulation are introduced. Second, collaboration space, value chain and business process models and their conceptual dependencies are shown, using the ExSpect language. Third, an exhibit demonstrates the use of value chain models in predicting the financial performance of an enterprise

Integration of the Cimosa and high-level coloured Petri net modelling techniques with application in the postal process using hierarchical dispatching rules

Enterprise processes, i.e. business and manufacturing, rely on enterprise modelling and simulation tools to assess the quality of their structure and performance in an unobtrusive and cost-effective way. Each of these processes is a collaboration of inseparable elements such as resources, information, operations, and organization. In order to provide a more complete assessment of enterprise processes, a simulation approach that allows communication and interaction among these elements needs to be provided. The simulation approach requires an analysis of the performance of each element and its influence on other elements in an object-oriented way. It also needs to have the capability to represent the structures and dynamics of the elements mentioned, and to present the performance assessment comprehensively. This will ensure a more holistic simulation modelling task. These simulation requirements have motivated the investigation of the novel integration of two popular enterprise process modelling methods: Cimosa and high-level coloured Petri net. The Cimosa framework is used to formalize the enterprise modelling procedure in the aspects of representing process elements, structure, behaviours, and relationships. The high-level coloured Petri nets method provides the mechanism to simulate the dynamics of objects and their characteristics, and also to enable communication among the objects. The approach is applied on a postal process model, which involves elements from manufacturing processes, i.e. machine processing (sorting), inventory (storage), product flow, and resource planning. Simulation studies based on the hierarchical dispatching rules show that the integrated approach is able to present vital information regarding the communication method, resource management, and the effect of interactions among these manufacturing process elements, which are not provided by the current modelling system in the postal company. The current paper has presented a novel mechanism, i.e. Cimosa—HCTSPN modelling approach, to extract information on process elements and their interactions. It has also presented the novel hierarchical dispatching rules and contributed to the extension of information that can be represented for a postal process

A Framework for Information Systems Design based on Object-Oriented Concepts and Petri Nets

this paper, we describe an integrated way of developing (information) systems. This integration has two dimensions. First and foremost, it covers what has been called horizontal integratio

The DONS rail scheduling system

This paper describes a system for automated rail scheduling currently being developed at Dutch Rail (NS). This system will be used initially to base infrastructure decisions upon. Rail infrastructure poses constraints upon the rail schedules that can be made within it, because of the large extent in which trains share it. Good infrastructure is the one that allows good schedules. The Petri net based ExSpect editor is used to model infrastructure variants and to help converting them into schedule constraints. With OR techniques, schedules are then made generated. ExSpect is then used to simulate the execution of these schedules within their infrastructure