A Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) approach for Engineer-To-Order systems performance evaluation

In Engineer-To-Order (ETO) industrial contexts, decision-making about which systems to offer for sales or which subsystems to integrate into the systems for sales is based on various performance indicators. However, the lack of relevant information to evaluate these indicators challenges the decision-making process. In this article, to face this issue, a CBR approach is proposed for the evaluation of the performances of ETO systems. The main contributions are: (i) an object-oriented case representation model which allows to store previous evaluated systems for an effective and time efficient similar systems retrieval, and (ii) a method that allows to compute similarity between two systems that can have different structures

Readiness, feasibility and confidence: how to help bidders to better develop and assess their offers

In a bidding process, the bidder must define and evaluate potential offers in order to propose the most suitable one to the potential customer. Proposing attractive but also realistic offers to various potential customers is a key factor for the bidder to stay competitive. In order to achieve this, the bidder needs to be very sure about the technical specifications and the constructability of the proposal. However, performing a detailed design is resource and time-consuming. This article proposes the foundation of a new framework which can help bidders to define the right offer: (i) in the context of a non-routine design process, while avoiding a detailed design and (ii) taking into account two new indicators that reflect the bidder’s confidence that they can meet the commitments once the offer is accepted. The first indicator (OCS) characterises the Overall Confidence in the technical System, while the second one (OCP) gives the Overall Confidence in the delivery Process. Both OCS and OCP are based firstly on two factual objective indicators, Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for OCS and Activity Feasibility Level (AFL) for OCP, and secondly on two human-based subjective indicators, Confidence In System (CIS) for the OCS and Confidence In Process for the OCP. An illustrative application shows how this framework can really help bidders define an offer, while avoiding detailed design and enable them to evaluate the confidence level in each potential offe

Configuration knowledge modeling: How to extend configuration from assemble/make to order towards engineer to order for the bidding process

The bidding process is one of the most important phases for system contractors. A successful bid implies defining and implementing attractive and realistic systems solutions that fulfil customer expectations. An additional challenge arises with the increase in systems diversity resulting from growing customization needs. As a result, for standard customizing offers, bidders find good quality support with configuration software for assemble/make-to-order situations. But when requirements exceed the standard offers, bidders need extended support to fulfil Engineering-to-Order requirements. In this context, this article shows how configuration knowledge models, which support configuration in assemble/make-to-order situations (AMTO), can be extended and used in engineer-to-order situations (ETO). Modeling is achieved assuming that the configuration problem is considered as a constraint satisfaction problem. Six key requirements that differentiate ETO from AMTO are identified and modeling extensions are proposed and discussed. An example illustrates all the contributions

Possibilistic Pareto-dominance approach to support technical bid selection under imprecision and uncertainty in engineer-to-order bidding process

Successful bidding involves defining relevant technical bid solutions that conform to the customers' requirements, then selecting the most interesting one for the commercial offer. However, in Engineer-To-Order (ETO) industrial contexts, this selection process is complicated by issues of imprecision, uncertainty and confidence regarding the values of the decision criteria. To address this complexity, a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) support approach is proposed in this study. This approach is based on possibility theory and the Pareto-dominance principle. It involves three main stages. First, a method is proposed to automatically model the values of the decision criteria by possibility distributions. Second, four possibilistic mono-criterion dominance relations are developed to compare two solutions with respect to a single decision criterion. Finally, an interactive method is devised to determine the most interesting technical bid solutions with respect to all the decision criteria. The method is applied to the design of a technical bid solution of a crane. The results show that this approach enables bidders to select the most interesting solution during a bidding process, while taking into account imprecision, uncertainty and their own confidence regarding the values of the decision criteria

Possibility theory and PROMETHEE II for decision aid in engineering design process

In many design problems, the designer must select the design solution from among several alternative design solutions. In situations where relevant information to evaluate the design solutions are not available, the evaluation is imprecise and uncertain. Therefore, in order to make the right decision, it is necessary to take into account imprecision and uncertainty in the decision process. In this context, this article presents a multi-criteria decision support approach for the complete ranking of alternative design solutions. The proposed approach allows to take into account the imprecision and uncertainty related to the evaluation of the decision criteria. It is based on the possibility theory and PROMETHEE II ranking method. It is validated using an application dealing with the design of a technical bid solution (a couple of technical system and delivery process) during a bidding process

Configuration and Response to calls for tenders: an open bid configuration model

During bidding process, bidders have to submit offers which will suit the customers' requirements. The OPERA project aims at building a decision support tool to help bidders to design offers using CSP and compare them on orignial indicators. The objective is (1) to help bidder to have the same routine for bid answer-ings (2) to help them to design more accurate responses and more efficiently. One of the major tasks during bidding process is offer elaboration, which is in our case, 90% a configuration problem and 10% an innovative design one. Four industrial partners are part of the OPERA project: two in the secondary sector and the two others in tertiary one. This paper presents the first results of this project for open bidding configuration. Therefore, we have built a first version of an open generic bidding model which gathers three types of offers data: (1) context characterization data, (2) data defining the product or service and (3) data defining its delivery process, in case of success. Context data allow to characterize the customer profile, the call for tender characteristics, the bidder profile and the environmental factors. The product is decomposed on subsystems and components using a bill of materials and we propose some tracks to extend our model to services. The process is composed of activities, characterized by a couple (resources, workload). This model has been tested on one use case for each industrial partner. This paper is illustrated by a generic instance of a bike open bidding configuration

How to deal with Engineering-to-Order Product/System Configuration?

This paper considers the configuration of physical systems in a business to business environment (machine tool, aerospace equipment, cranes ...). In this kind of business, knowledge-based configuration software are frequently used when dealing with Assemble/Make-To-Order or (Configure-To-Order (CTO)) situations where the entire customer’s requirements can be fulfilled with standard systems. However, in Engineer-To-Order (ETO) situations where non-standard systems must be designed in order to fulfill the entire customers’ requirements, existing knowledge-based configuration software cannot be used. In fact, the configuration hypothesis state that all configured systems are assembled from standard sub-systems and components. The aim of this paper is therefore to investigate how the existing products/systems configuration hypothesis, problems’ definitions, and models can be modified or adapted in order to allow the use of configuration software in ETO situations. In this purpose, first, the main differences between standard and non-standard systems are analyzed. Then, six cases of systems configuration that differentiate CTO from ETO are identified and discussed. Finally, some Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSP) based modeling extensions are proposed to allow the use of configuration software in these situations

How to use configuration software in “Less Routine Design” situations? Some modelling propositions

This paper considers the configuration of physical systems in a business to business environment (machine tool, aerospace equipment, cranes ...). In this kind of business, knowledge-based configuration software are frequently used when dealing with “infinitely routine design” situations where the entire customer’s requirements can be fulfilled with standard systems. However, in “less routine design” situations where non-standard systems must be designed in order to fulfill the entire customers’requirements, existing knowledge-based configuration software cannot be used. In fact, the configuration hypothesis state that all configured systems are assembled from standard sub-systems and components. The aim of this paper is therefore to investigate how the existing products/systems configuration hypothesis, problems’ definitions, and models can be modified or adapted in order to allow the use of configuration software in “less routine design” situations. In this purpose, first, the main differences between standard and non-standards systems are analyzed. Then, six cases of systems configuration that differentiate “less routine design” from “infinitely routine design” are identified and discussed. Finally, some Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSP) based modeling extensions are proposed to allow the use of configuration software in these situations

Decision support in bidding process : an integrated approach of concurrent design of system and process, risk management and experience feedback

Dans le cadre d’une relation client / fournisseur, les entreprises proposant des produits ou systèmes doivent élaborer et proposer des offres personnalisées, attractives et réalisables. Pour cela, elles doivent tout d’abord concevoir et évaluer un ensemble d’offres techniques (couples systèmes / processus de réalisation). Ensuite, sélectionner, sur la base d’un ensemble de critères de décision pertinents, l’offre technique à considérer dans la proposition à transmettre au client. Dans des situations où les solutions techniques disponibles au sein de l’entreprise fournisseur couvrent une bonne partie des besoins exprimés par le client mais pas la totalité, situations dites de « conception non-routinière », l’analyse des pratiques industrielles et des travaux scientifiques a permis de définir trois problématiques de recherche majeures : (i) la conception des offres en situations de conception non-routinière, (ii) l’évaluation de la confiance dans les offres quant à leur bonne réalisation au regard des attentes et objectifs fixés, et (iii) la sélection, parmi un ensemble d’offres potentielles, de l’offre la plus intéressante en tenant compte de l’imprécision, de l’incertitude et de la confiance associées aux offres. Les travaux réalisés dans cette thèse apportent des solutions scientifiques et pragmatiques à ces trois problématiques. Concernant la conception des offres, des solutions sont proposées pour étendre les principes de configuration à des situations de « conception non-routinière ». Deux indicateurs ainsi qu’une méthode permettant de les quantifier sont proposés pour l’évaluation de la confiance de chaque offre technique. Enfin, une approche d’aide à la décision multicritère est développée pour aider à la sélection de l’offre technique la plus intéressante en tenant compte de l’imprécision, de l’incertitude et de la confiance.In the context of a customer / supplier relationship, companies offering products or systems must develop and propose personalized, attractive and achievable offers. In order to do so, they have to design and evaluate a set of technical offers corresponding to pairs of systems and delivery processes. Then, on the basis of a set of relevant decision criteria, they must select the technical offer to be considered and sent to the customer. In situations where the technical solutions available within the supplier company cover a good part of the customer’s requirements but not all, so-called "non-routine design" situations, the analysis of industrial practices and scientific works has led us to identify three major research problems: (i) the design of technical offers in non-routine design situations, (ii) the evaluation of the confidence in these offers as to their good achievement with regard to customer’s expectations and supplier’s objectives, and (iii) the selection of the most interesting offer from a set of potential technical offers while taking into account imprecision, uncertainty and confidence. This thesis provides scientific and pragmatic solutions to these problems. Regarding the design of the offers, solutions are proposed to extend the principles of configuration to "non-routine design" situations. Two indicators and a method for quantifying them are proposed for the assessment of the confidence of each technical offer. Finally, a multi-criteria decision support approach is developed to assist the supplier in the selection of the most interesting technical offer, taking into account imprecision, uncertainty and confidence

Aide à la décision en réponse à appel d'offres : une approche intégrée de conception conjointe produit-processus, de gestion des risques et de retour d'expérience

In the context of a customer / supplier relationship, companies offering products or systems must develop and propose personalized, attractive and achievable offers. In order to do so, they have to design and evaluate a set of technical offers corresponding to pairs of systems and delivery processes. Then, on the basis of a set of relevant decision criteria, they must select the technical offer to be considered and sent to the customer. In situations where the technical solutions available within the supplier company cover a good part of the customer’s requirements but not all, so-called "non-routine design" situations, the analysis of industrial practices and scientific works has led us to identify three major research problems: (i) the design of technical offers in non-routine design situations, (ii) the evaluation of the confidence in these offers as to their good achievement with regard to customer’s expectations and supplier’s objectives, and (iii) the selection of the most interesting offer from a set of potential technical offers while taking into account imprecision, uncertainty and confidence. This thesis provides scientific and pragmatic solutions to these problems. Regarding the design of the offers, solutions are proposed to extend the principles of configuration to "non-routine design" situations. Two indicators and a method for quantifying them are proposed for the assessment of the confidence of each technical offer. Finally, a multi-criteria decision support approach is developed to assist the supplier in the selection of the most interesting technical offer, taking into account imprecision, uncertainty and confidence.Dans le cadre d’une relation client / fournisseur, les entreprises proposant des produits ou systèmes doivent élaborer et proposer des offres personnalisées, attractives et réalisables. Pour cela, elles doivent tout d’abord concevoir et évaluer un ensemble d’offres techniques (couples systèmes / processus de réalisation). Ensuite, sélectionner, sur la base d’un ensemble de critères de décision pertinents, l’offre technique à considérer dans la proposition à transmettre au client. Dans des situations où les solutions techniques disponibles au sein de l’entreprise fournisseur couvrent une bonne partie des besoins exprimés par le client mais pas la totalité, situations dites de « conception non-routinière », l’analyse des pratiques industrielles et des travaux scientifiques a permis de définir trois problématiques de recherche majeures : (i) la conception des offres en situations de conception non-routinière, (ii) l’évaluation de la confiance dans les offres quant à leur bonne réalisation au regard des attentes et objectifs fixés, et (iii) la sélection, parmi un ensemble d’offres potentielles, de l’offre la plus intéressante en tenant compte de l’imprécision, de l’incertitude et de la confiance associées aux offres. Les travaux réalisés dans cette thèse apportent des solutions scientifiques et pragmatiques à ces trois problématiques. Concernant la conception des offres, des solutions sont proposées pour étendre les principes de configuration à des situations de « conception non-routinière ». Deux indicateurs ainsi qu’une méthode permettant de les quantifier sont proposés pour l’évaluation de la confiance de chaque offre technique. Enfin, une approche d’aide à la décision multicritère est développée pour aider à la sélection de l’offre technique la plus intéressante en tenant compte de l’imprécision, de l’incertitude et de la confiance