Simulation of Multi-Stage Industrial Business Processes Using Metamodelling Building Blocks with ADOxx

Abstract

This paper introduces Industrial Business Process Management (IBPM) as a novel research direction for information science (IS) based on the European Commission’s project GO0DMAN. The project’s aim is to establish a knowledge-based, ICT-supported approach for IBPM using system’s engineering and optimization techniques realized by hybrid conceptual modelling methods. The contribution of this paper is a novel procedural framework that guides the design and development of such hybrid modelling methods. The framework comprises three abstraction levels: a) abstract metamodel building blocks – to define the abstract modelling language constructs and model processing capabilities required for domain aspects (e.g., in manufacturing: multi-stage, material, information and control flows); b) model & functional building blocks - as concrete modelling structures and analytical functionalities processing the models; and c) execution building blocks - a corresponding modelling and model processing environment implementation to support the modeller during the application. Composition and injection mechanisms on abstract building blocks enable efficient realization of concrete modelling and model processing capabilities by re-using and/or extending existing artefacts. Evaluation is performed by using the metamodelling platform ADOxx for a proof-of-concept implementation of a multi-stage manufacturing process simulation environment.