Design and development of a rapid data collection methodology

This paper presents research work undertaken on input data modelling for the simulation of batch manufacturing systems. It describes the development of a data reference model using IDEFIX data modelling language and a step-by-step approach to identify and collect required data quickly. The purpose of this reference model is to describe the interaction between various data groups relating to items such as parts, resources and some aspects of system logic. This model has been developed and refined using data collected from real industrial situations. The model encapsulates the major entities (data groups) with their attributes and relationships. This model was then translated into a normalised relational database. Having developed the data model, a step-by-step approach was devised to support simulation practitioners. The reference model has been annotated with the sources of real data, so that practitioners could identify the most suitable source of data for their requirements