Scheduling using “activity-based modeling”

This paper presents an interesting approach known as “activity-based modeling (ABM)” for scheduling activities or operations in discrete-event based dynamic systems (DEDS). In this paper, firstly, ABM is introduced. Secondly, a new tool is known as GPenSIM is introduced; GPenSIM is developed for modeling and simulation of DEDS using the activity-based modeling approach; GPenSIM is based on Petri Nets. Thirdly, through a case study, this paper shows the effectiveness of activity-based modeling over the traditional “resource-based modeling” approach. The usefulness and uniqueness of this paper is the introduction of activity-based modeling and its application on the development of GPenSIM, and also the “proof-of-concept” - a scheduling example - is presented in the case study.