Enterprise modelling for operational decision support

The paper describes an enterprise modelling application which combines enterprise modelling and time based simulation of the model in a generic Petri-net with an SQL type database to store the model and to provide run-time data to the model enactment. In the first step, the business processes of the scenario are modelled with CIMOSA. The model is then transformed into external schemata and stored in a relational database. A generic time-based Petri net is used to execute the model. The generic Petri net is connected via an ADO-interface (active data object) to an SQL type data store. During execution of the model, run-time data are fetched from the data store and the optimised data resulting from the simulation are presented for evaluation. This application principle is built on the (DoD) High Level Architecture (HLA) going towards a Web-based simulation. The simulation provides model based configurations of activities, people, skills, machines, orders and time of the printing process scenario of a small or medium sized enterprise (SME). The simulation can be modified by the end-user leading to quick decision support in the operation control. Further implementation opportunities using distributed systems or Internet/intranet technology in virtual enterprises are briefly discussed.