Multicriteria design of manufacturing systems through simulation optimization

Simulation is a popular tool for the design and analysis of manufacturing systems. The popularity of simulation is due to its flexibility, its ability to model systems when analytical methods have failed, and its ability to model the time dynamic behavior of systems. However, in and of itself, simulation is not a design tool; therefore, in order to optimize a simulation model, it often must be used in conjunction with an optimum-seeking method. This paper describes an interactive (decision maker-computer) methodology for multiple response optimization of simulation models. This approach is based on a multiple criteria optimization technique called the STEP method. The proposed methodology is illustrated with an example involving the optimization of a manufacturing system