Object-oriented modeling and simulation of integrated production/distribution systems

Owing to the increasing role of integrated supply chain design and management, the traditional task of manufacturing systems design is becoming more complex. The variety of tasks involved in such an activity, both at the level of structural network design and management, calls for a modular approach, enabling the designer to experiment with different alternatives, by assembling a set of predefined building blocks. Object-oriented simulation languages, such as MODSIM, are well-suited to this task. However, a modeling methodology at a higher level is needed in order to design the building blocks properly; furthermore, object-oriented modeling makes both the documentation and the transition from modeling to operational software easier. In this paper we outline a small case study, tackled by OMT (object modeling technique) methodology. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.