Abstract A MultiAgent Based System to Enable Strategic and Operational Design Coordination.pdfVIP

A Multi-Agent Based System to Enable Strategic and Operational Design Coordination Robert Ian Whitfield, Graham Coates, Alex H.B. Duffy, Bill Hills Abstract This paper presents two systems which individually focus on different aspects of design coordination, namely strategic and operational. The systems were developed in parallel and individually contain related models that represent specific frames from a Design Coordination Framework developed by Andreasen et al. [1]. The focus of the strategic design management system is the management of design tasks, decisions, information, goals and rationale within the design process, whereas the focus of the operational design coordination system is the coordination of tasks and activities with respect to the near-optimal utilisation of available resources. A common interface exists which enables the two systems to be integrated and used as a single system with the aim of managing both strategic and operational design coordination. Hence, the objective of this work is to enable the design process to be conducted in a timely and appropriate manner. 1 Introduction Design coordination is a relatively new concept within the engineering design community, which is aimed at improving the performance of the engineering design process. One of the most prominent frameworks associated within design coordination is the Design Coordination Framework (DCF) - Andreasen et al. [1]. The DCF presents a number of frames, each of which is aimed at representing different aspects of design coordination. The DCF also describes the management of the links between the frames. There currently exists no implementation of the DCF and consequently the concepts have not been validated. This research has identified that certain elements of the DCF can be divided into two distinct areas, namely str