Automated Analysis in Feature Modelling and Product Configuration

The automated analysis of feature models is one of the thriving topics of research in the software product line and variability management communities that has attracted more attention in the last years. A recent literature review reported that more than 30 analysis operations have been identi ed and di erent analysis mechanisms have been proposed. Product con guration is a well established research eld with more than 30 years of successful applications in di erent industrial domains. Our hypothesis, that is not really new, is that these two independent areas of research have interesting synergies that have not been fully explored. To try to explore the potential synergies systematically, in this paper we provide a rapid review to bring together these previously disparate streams of work. We de ne a set of research questions and give a preliminary answer to some of them. We conclude that there are many research opportunities in the synergy of these independent areas.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2009- 07366Junta de Andalucía TIC-590

Exploiting constraints for domain managing in CLP(FD)

Constraint Logic Programming languages on Finite Domains CLP(FD) provide a declarative framework for dealing with problems in Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, in many applications, domains are not known at the beginning of the computation and must be computed. The domain computation can be time-consuming, since elements can be retrieved through an expensive acquisition process from the outer world. In this paper, we introduce a CLP language that treats domains as first-class objects, and allows the definition of domains through constraints in a CLP(FD) environment. We define operations and properties on variables and domains. The language can be implemented on top of different CLP systems, exploiting thus different semantics for domains. We state the specifications that the employed system should provide, and we show that two different CLP systems (Conjunto and {log}) can be effectively used

Web-based decision support system for orders planning

Competition in the global economy is intensifying the implementation of the mass customization paradigm. This requires a substantial increase in the personalized interaction between client and producer. Agility in the order-production-delivery cycle optimization is a key element for industrial enterprises as a means to meet requirements of this paradigm. The use of agile methodologies for this purpose requires improving processes of product specification and product data management. Under today’s technology this tends to be predominantly carried out with the aid of the Internet using mostly web services. For a company, this also requires better integration of front-office processes (interaction with the outside) and back office (including production processes). Mass Customization scenarios are characterized by large product variety dependent on product specific requirements of individual customers. In this process there is a need to provide the customer with tools for easy product specification, selection or configuration. Web-based configurators can provide an opportunity to both producer and customer, through an interactive process, for a more formal, faster, effective and better product and orders specification. In this paper, we propose an architecture and describe functionalities of a web-based system for interactive products and customer orders configuration. The proposed system can also be a valuable tool to support production and delivery.This work was developed under the scope of project PEst-OE/EME/UI0252/2011, financed by The Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT