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Article published in International Journal of Production Research, 2012. Also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2011.648777

New modelling constructs are defined to enable human, machine, and IT resource systems to be described coherently and explicitly as ‘reusable’, ‘change-capable’ ‘components’ of manufacturing enterprises. These components are referred to as ‘dynamic producer units’ or DPUs. DPU characterization is designed to facilitate: graphical representation of resource systems; explicit specification of resource systems; and implementation description of resource systems that can be computer executed within simulation modelling environments. Also described is a methodological use of the DPU modelling constructs, which shows how they can complement the use of ISO enterprise modelling and proprietary (discrete event and continuous) simulation software. By so doing, the modelling of responsive production systems is enabled, where such systems comprise user defined configurations of process networks, resource systems, and time-dependent flows of units of work. This modelling method enables decomposition and semantically rich representation of complex systems composed from interoperating DPUs that can be computer exercised within specific organizational contexts. This paper introduces the DPU and illustrates its systematic application when designing responsive production systems.

A new approach to enterprise modelling is described that facilitates the reuse of multi-perspective models of Business Process networks. The approach has been designed to advance current best practice when engineering change to interdependent Business Processes of types commonly deployed within Manufacturing Enterprises. The approach is unique in the way it maintains coherence between (1) conventional enterprise models, used primarily to represent graphically (at multiple levels of abstraction) relatively enduring properties of Business Process networks; and (2) dynamic models of selected segments of a parent Business Process network, which can be computer-executed via conventional simulation modelling and workflow modelling technology. Thereby, context-dependent dynamic models can be used to replicate and analyse historical patterns of enterprise behaviour, and predict and analyse possible future patterns of enterprise behaviour, should selected elements and parameters of the modelled Business Process ne...

Enterprises (business organisations) are increasingly operating under uncertain conditions arising from: governments that introduce new regulations; a market place which is shaped by ongoing change in customer requirements; change in capital markets that orient overall market directions; an advancing base of technology; and increasing competition which can arise from a growing number of sources (Monfared, 2000). Consequently, organisations are expected to change rapidly in response to emerging requirements. Classical theories and more recently ‘method-based’ organisation (re)design and change approaches have been proposed and tried with varying degrees of successes. This chapter contribution discusses the role of enterprise and simulation modelling in support of organisation (re)design and change. The capabilities and constraints of some widely acknowledged public domain enterprise modelling frameworks and methods are reviewed. A modelling approach which integrates the use of enterprise modelling (EM), causal loop modelling (CLM), and simulation modelling (SM) is described. The approach enables the generation of coherent and semantically rich models of organisations. The integrated modelling approach has been applied and tested in a number of manufacturing enterprises (MEs) and one case study application is described.

International audience; A new approach to modelling human systems as reusable components of manufacturing workplaces is described. Graphical and computer executable models of people competences and characters are created which are qualitatively and quantitatively matched to equivalent models of process networks, decomposed into roles and dependencies between roles. To enable model creation and reuse, coherent sets of role, competence and dynamic producer unit (DPU) modelling concepts have been defined and instrumented using Enterprise Modelling (EM), Simulation Modeling (SM) and Causal Loop Modelling (CLM) techniques. This paper reports on an application of the modelling approach, and related models of 'process oriented roles' and 'candidate human systems', so as to systemise matching of role requirements to resource systems attributes and to inform aspects of strategic and tactical decision making in an SME making composite bearings.

International audience; To remain competitive, most Manufacturing Enterprises (MEs) need cost effective and responsive business processes with capability to realise multiple value streams specified by changes in customer needs. Models of MEs can play a critical role in enabling enhanced enterprise process and systems design and change based on analysis of their performance, and ongoing management and control of their operation. Typical models of MEs can provide reusable computational representations of organisational structures, processes, information, resources and related value flows in an enterprise. This paper presents a dynamic modelling approach to value stream mapping which enhances current best practice when reasoning about changing process and resource systems requirements. Here, coherent use of enterprise and simulation modelling techniques were deployed to develop value streams of a case study enterprise which is a make-to-order furniture manufacturing SME. The paper will explain how models created during the modelling stages were validated and reused as a basis for informed SME decision making in relation to product realisation strategies and related organisation design and change decisions and actions.

Organisations comprise human and technical systems that typically perform a variety of business, engineering and production roles. Of late, attention is being focused on modelling various aspects of people working within production systems. In the research reported graphical and computer executable models of people have been conceived and used in support of human systems engineering. The paper describes how the modelling approach can underpin the conceptual design and runtime simulation of alternative human system configurations. In this paper, the authors illustrate the application of the modelling approach and the advantages gained from the use of simulation technologies. [Received 10 September 2009; Revised 27 May 2010; Accepted 22 October 2010]