Companies built around functional departments like manufacturing, sales, and finance, and using traditional manufacturing resources planning (MRP II), cannot respond effectively enough to customer demands to compete in the 1990s, according to Ted Rybeck of consulting firm Benchmarking Partners. What is needed, Rybeck says, is a new business model that requires a different kind of corporate organization and state-of-the-art information technology. Rybeck explains that a customer-focused, integrated supply chain requires breaking down the walls between different departments and replacing MRP II systems that are designed for unreal-time, mainframe-oriented processing. As director of research at Advanced Manufacturing Research, Rybeck developed the Customer-Oriented Manufacturing Management Systems model and Benchmarking Partners is working with multinational manufacturers on an expanded model called Customer-Oriented Management System.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of an examination of the current state of process modeling. Modern management philosophies such as business process reengineering, work flow management, and continuous improvement depend on the development of process models. However, an examination of major process modeling methods reveals that there are serious faults with the underlying conceptual foundations of these methodologies. These shortcomings include; poor support for creating enterprise models, lack of support for verification, and the separation of process perspectives.

The object-orientation is offered as an alternate paradigm for performing process modeling in support of enterprise engineering efforts. Object-oriented concepts are examined in relation to supporting business process modeling. An object class hierarchy is then proposed as a foundation for extending current object-oriented concepts to enterprise modeling.

Client/Server (C/S) computing is gaining fast acceptance in industry as a means to leverage information processing resources. Presentation, application, and data manipulation logic are allocated between local client programs and shared resource servers. Most reported cases of C/S implementation focus on migrating existing applications from the mainframe to local area network (LAN) based systems. This migration is often closely linked to efforts to reengineer the way an organization does business, either as result of process redesign or as a catalyst for redesign efforts. Unfortunately, C/S system implementation is often performed independently of the actual efforts to redesign or reengineer the business processes it is supposed to support. In this paper the case is presented that Enterprise Engineering and C/S design are actually mutually enabling activities in the effort to improve the competitive position of the enterprise. The linkages that exist between Enterprise Engineering and C/S system implementation are explored. A framework is presented that integrates Enterprise Engineering and C/S design into an iterative life-cycle for the development of information systems that support the business needs of the enterprise.

Client/Server (C/S) computing is gaining fast acceptance in industry as a means to leverage information processing resources. Presentation, application, and data manipulation logic are allocated between local client programs and shared resource servers. Most reported cases of C/S implementation focus on migrating existing applications from the mainframe to local area network (LAN) based systems. This migration is often closely linked to efforts to reengineer the way an organization does business, either as result of process redesign or as a catalyst for redesign efforts. Unfortunately, C/S system implementation is often performed independently of the actual efforts to redesign or reengineer the business processes it is supposed to support. In this paper the case is presented that Enterprise Engineering and C/S design are actually mutually enabling activities in the effort to improve the competitive position of the enterprise. The linkages that exist between Enterprise Engineering and C/S system implementation are explored. A framework is presented that integrates Enterprise Engineering and C/S design into an iterative life-cycle for the development of information systems that support the business needs of the enterprise.

CIM-OSA provides an enterprise modeling framework. First the business requirements of the enterprise are captured and, starting from these requirements, the physical CIM system is derived. In addition, CIM-OSA provides a set of concepts supporting the development of the CIM system and a set of services supporting the running of the CIM system.

CIMOSA provides an enterprise modelling framework. First the Business requirements of the enterprise are captured and, strating from these requirements, the physical CIM system is derived. In addition, CIMOSA provides a set of concepts supporting the development of CIM system and a set of services supporting the running of the CIM system

An account is given of the possibilities and limitations of reusing Enterprise Models (EM). Special difficulties are discussed which arise from the fact that stake-holders in the enterprise engineering process do not belong to a single homogenous language community. Measures are proposed which ensure that models are interpreted as intended, thereby controlling the quality of the processes using enterprise models - such as enterprise engineering. A practical definition of model completeness is presented, based on a pragmatic theory of meaning and theory of communication.

Computer based models for an enterprise should be technology independent and expressed in terms meaningful to the application. They must be capable of being integrated with other models and with the enterprise itself as active, embedded components. A process-based structure is proposed as a unifying franework that can express models in a common form. This structure defines any model in terms of internal and external events that can occur during its lifetime. These events supply a complete and explicit representation with which to explain permitted behaviour to users and to define this behaviour formally. In addition to its role in abastract specification, the event based framework can be implemented directly as the executable interface of a model. Such an implementation can supply the basic layer of an enteprise integration architecture.

This paper provides an overview of CIMOSA by defining key concepts, listing those involved, and describing CIMOSA's purpose. A description of how CIMOSA works is given along with the requirements of Enterprise Modeling. Further comments on key issues with modeling are then given. Then details on CIMOSA are provided (Framework and constructs, Integrating Infrastructure, real - world applications, and status). An overview of how some companies are using CIMOSA is also provided along with a glossary of terms.

The power of modeling of manufacturing systems can be enhanced through the application of reusable and pluggable modeling constructs. In this paper we discuss a framework for model reusability and how the seperation concept together with object oriented paradigm support this capability. We then discuss the importace of reusable and pluggable organizational controls in a modeling enviroment. Several important issues related to the implementation of reusability and pluggability are summarized. Examples are presented to illustrate our approach for implementing reusable and pluggable orgabizational controls.

To design, build, and operate contemporary manufacturing enterprises it is necessary to formalise the processes within these life-cycle phases, thereby providing a basis for automated support and the definition of reference solutions. In 1991 a research program entitled 'model driven CIM' was funded by the UK science and engineering research council (SERC) to provide support for integrated manufacturing systems engineering. A prime deliverable of the work is a collection of CASE workbenches comprising software tools, models and infrastructural services which support system design and build. The paper provides an overview of the life-cycle engineering methods conceived and developed. It introduces three separate workbenches which, via two different approaches to system build, formalise and realise a link between design models and real world run-time systems. Each approach provides a means of enacting system models in a way which semi-automates resource-consuming implementation processes. As a result more effective and wider-scope integrated manufacturing systems can be realised for a given engineering investment. The paper also identifies key issues which need to be considered when comparing and combining the two approaches. This consideration is important in respect of classifying potential application areas for each approach and identifying problems which need to be overcome before realising their full potential.

Planning ,scheduling, ordering (etc.) activities are often described in terms of resources. Accordingly, this requires any application to have the ability to reason about the nature of the resource and its availability. This paper presents a formal model for resources. In particular, it describes the ontology and semantics for modeling resources. An ontology is comprised of a data model which is composed of objects, attributes, relations, and formal definitions of the constraints and terms in the data, defined in first order logic. This permits the sharability and reusability of information between different applications.

The goal of the TOVE project is fourfold: 1) to create a shared representation (aka ontology) of the enterprise that each agent in the distributed enterprise can jointly understand and use, 2) define the meaning of each description (aks semantics), 3) implement the semantics in a set of axioms that will enable TOVE to automatically deduce the answer to many "common sense" questions about the enterprise and 4) define a symbology for depicting a concept in a graphical context. The model is multi-level spanning conceptual, generic, and application layers. THe generic and application layers all also stratified composed of micro theories spanning, for example, activities, time, resources, constraints, etc. at the generic level. Critical to the TOVE effort is enabling the easy instantiation of the model for a particular enterprise models will be automatically created as a by product of the enterprise design function. TOVE is currently being built to model a computer manufacturer and an aerospace engineering firm.

Computerization of enterprises continues unabated and so does the cost of software. The availability of a generic, common-sense enterprise model is necessary if we are to reign in costs. But in order to construct useful Generic Enterprise Models (GEM) there are a number of issues that have to be addressed. In this paper we explore the following issues: Is there such a thing as a generic enterprise model? Can the terminology be precisely defined? Does all knowledge need to be explicit? Need there be a single, shared enterprise model? How can we determine which is a better enterprise model? Can an enterprise model be kept consistent? Can an enterprise model be created and kept current? Will the organization accept an enterprise-wide model? We then briefly describe the TOVE project, which attempts to address many of these issues.

The paper presents our preliminary exploration into an organisation ontology for the TOVE enterprise model. Its primary focus has been in linking structure and behaviour through the concept of empowerment. Empowerment is the right of an organization agent to perform status changing actions. This linkage is critical to the unification of enterprise models and their exectuability.

The paper presents our preliminary exploration into an organisation ontology for the TOVE enterprise model. Its primary focus has been in linking structure and behaviour through the concept of empowerment. Empowerment is the right of an organization agent to perform status changing actions. This linkage is critical to the unification of enterprise models and their exectuability.

We present a framework for enterprise engineering that encompasses the formalization of knowledge in an enterprise, its integration into a software tool, and the visualization of the enterprise. The foundation for the system is the use of generic ontologies for enterprise modeling.

In this paper we present a perspective on enterprise modelling which is emerging under the Enterprise project. Enterprise modelling can be used as a catch-all title to describe the activity of modelling any pertinent aspect of an organisation. We present a more restricted use of the term, which implies the need to focus on the organisation as a whole: taking a more "total systems'' approach. We describe the main motivations for enterprise modelling. We identify features of enterprise models and suggest how they might be used. A key element which we discuss is the use of an ontology which permits the interchange of information and knowledge between different users, tasks and systems. Finally we give a high level view of a computer toolset to support enterprise modelling.

The Enterprise Project is collaborative work between AIAI at the University of Edinburg UK, Lloyd's Register of Shipping, Logica, and Unilever. The project is establishing a generic framework within which enterprise tools can be used to assist users in their tasks. It is based on an Enterprise ontology which establishes shared terminology for communications between users and tools. The paper begins with an overview of the Enterprise Project and its current status.

The main aim of the paper is to describe the open systems integration architecture which underlies the design of the Enterprise Tool Set. This draws on earlier work in Open-Agent-based Planning and Scehduling Architectures (e.g., O-Plan and TOSCA). A means to more easily integrate new capabilities into the toolkit is provided through the architecture which acts as a mediator between the various components. This draws on earlier work on mediators which act to help users of data base systems.

The core of the tool set will support user tasks via a workflow engine which will assist the user in performing a task, allow access to appropriate tools and methods, and make available suitable information resources. An abstraction of this central workflow within the tool set is provided in this paper. This acts to provide a framework for describing the various components integrated within the tool set and allowing them to be provided in a modular fashion.

We present a logical framework for representing activities/processes, states, adn time in an enterprise integration architecture. We define an ontology for these concepts in first-order logic and implement the axioms in Prolog, allowing deduction fo properties of activities and states at different points in time. This framework provides the basis of research in integrated supply chain management and enterprise engineering in the Toronto Virtual Enterprise project at the University of Toronto.

We present a logical framework for representing activities, time, and cost in an enterprise integration architecture. We define ontologies for these concepts in first-order logic and consider the problems of temporal projection and reasoning about the occurences of actions. We characterise the ontology with the use of competency questions. The ontology must contain a necessary and sufficient set of axioms to represent and solve these questions. As such, they serve as benchmarks for the development of ontologies for the various tasks in enterprise engineering. These questions not only characterize existing ontologies but also drive the development of new ontologies that are required to solve the competency questions.

We present a logical framework for representing activities, states, and time in an enterprise model. We define an ontology for these concepts in first-order logic and consider the problems of temporal projection and reasoning about the occurrence of actions.

The development of a dynamic enterprise model capable of simulating the business processes performed by a small manufacturing organization is presented. The enterprise model will serve as a decision support and systems development tool which will assist manufacturing organizations adapt to changes in the manufacturing environment. The semantic, structural, logical syntactical and implementation requirements of the type model are discussed. The content of the model will be based on the Small Integrated Manufacturing Enterprise architecture currently under development. Modeling constructs consistent with object-oriented analysis techniques are presented. These constructs are compatible with colored Petrie net and rule-based modeling, and inferencing techniques. Implementation issues associated with constructing a dynamic enterprise model are also addressed.

This paper is dedicated to describing the efforts of the Small Integrated Manufacturing Enterprise (SIME) program at The University of Texas at Arlington. The research objective of the program is the development of a set of integration requirements for the generalized small CIE of the future. These requirements will be established using a reference model of "the successful small CIE of the future". The construction of a corresponding "AS-IS" model generated from the analysis of small manufacturing companies will also be described. In addition to developing a CIE architecture for small manufacturing enterprises, the program is producing a systems development methodology. This methodology will be packaged in the form of a "Do It Yourself Kit" which would introduce the small manufacturers to the technologies and philosophies incorporated in the proposed CIE architecture. In addition, it will suggest tools and techniques which will assist small companies analyzing their own organization and define a migration path from their current enterprise structure to one which is compatible with the proposed small integrated enterprise architecture.

This paper is dedicated to describing the efforts of the Small Integrated Manufacturing Enterprise (SIME) program at The University of Texas at Arlington. The research objective of the program is the development of a set of integration requirements for the generalized small CIE of the future. These requirements will be established using a reference model of "the successful small CIE of the future". The construction of a corresponding "AS-IS" model generated from the analysis of small manufacturing companies will also be described. In addition to developing a CIE architecture for small manufacturing enterprises, the program is producing a systems development methodology. This methodology will be packaged in the form of a "Do It Yourself Kit" which would introduce the small manufacturers to the technologies and philosophies incorporated in the proposed CIE architecture. In addition, it will suggest tools and techniques which will assist small companies analyzing their own organization and define a migration path from their current enterprise structure to one which is compatible with the proposed small integrated enterprise architecture.

Proposed draft of vision of future IDEF capabilities. IDEF will be capable of supporting the environment described in the paper by the year 2000 or sooner

To plan a CIM enterprise strategy effectively, you must have a view of how the enterprise works, its information needs and where it is heading. This view can be called a model. A model can he defined as an accurate representation or description of a system or theory that accounts for many of its known properties. We will address the importance of modeling, enterprise models, and how models relate to midsized companies and the CIM Series/400 products support integration within the IBM operating system environments of AS/400s...OS/400, RISC System 6000s...AIX, PS/2 and Industrial Computers...OS/2

The development of a Manufacturing Enterprise Architecture (MEA) is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of Computer Integrated Manufacturing in an enterprise. To facilitate the development of MEA, an Enterprise Modeling Framework (EMF) is proposed as an object-oriented framework for modeling the three major facets of an enterprise, viz., function, information, and dynamics. EMF consists of a methodology and software tools implementing the methodology. The overall objective of this five year research effort is to design and develop MEA. In this paper the scope of the research and the progress to-date on a few speific efforts are presented.

Rapid, unanticipated, and often dramatic changes characterize the current business and technical environment. Individual processes may be better, faster, and cheaper than ever before, but the enterprise as a whole may not see all the expected benefits from these islands of excellence. Continued competitiveness depends upon the ability of enterprise engineers to holistically view and design the enterprise to achieve its goals while realizing the complexity of system interaction with the business, technical, and social environment in which the enterprise exists. The impact of enterprise engineering should be assessed in terms of enterprise processes and strategies. This paper presents a framework for enterprise engineering, categories of enterprise strategies, and a methodology for assessing the impact of these strategies on the enterprise.

Enterprise Engineering is defined as that body of knowledge, principles, and practices having to do with the analysis, design, implementation and operation of an enterprise. In a continually changing and unpredictable competitive environment, the Enterprise Engineer addresses a fundamental question: "how to design and improve all elements associated with the total enterprise through the use of engineering and analysis methods and tools to more effectively achieve its goals and objectives". The complexities of the modern enterprise and the challenging environment in which the enterprise exists demand a new type of engineering professional. The Enterprise Engineering Group at ARRI has been created to address these holistic issues related to improving the efficiency of the entire enterprise. This presentation describes the discipline of Enterprise Engineering.

This paper reports on peritinet aspects of business/enterprise modeling studies that were conducted with nine IBM customers using what are now called computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools. Coming shortly after the recent AD/Cycle announcement and the increased focus in IBM on tool-supported (CASE) business/enterprise modeling, this description of actual modeling studies should be especially germane. The model definitions (dimensions) used in the studies correspond exactly to many of the dimensions used by AD/Cycle, DevelopMate, and the Repository Manager. Compelling business reasons for conducting the studies are identified.

To overcome difficulties of the existing systems development and modeling methodologies and simultaneously to keep capabilities and characteristics of different models, a function, information, dynamics, and organization (FIDO) integrated modeling (or systems analysis and design) methodology is developed in this research. It incorporates robust, but independent, models such as the IDEF0 function model, Object-Oriented (OO) information model, the SLAMII dynamics model, and the Organization Chart into a comprehensive set of integrated modeling tools. The suite of integrated modeling tools of the FIDO methodology consists of a FIDO Integrated Modeling Framework, Extended IDEF0 modeling that integrates function and organization models for business/manufacturing process analysis, OOIDEF0 (Object-Oriented IDEF0) modeling that integrates function, information, and organization models for the distributed information systems analysis, OOIDEF0 Spec. that specifies objects for the design of OO information systems such as databases, repositories, and applications in a distributed client/server environment, and Dynamic IDEF0 modeling that integrates function and dynamics models for business performance analysis. The FIDO methodology can be used with any systems development models such as OO rapid prototyping models, such as spiral and fountain/incremental models, and traditional waterfall model. The FIDO methodology simultaneously achieves three kinds of integration: model integration of the different models, paradigm integration of the structured and OO paradigms, and systems development life cycle integration. Since the model integration maintains consistencies between different models, the effects of changes of one model can be identified on the other. This will improve the time, cost, and quality efforts required to maintain and modify different but inter-related models. The paradigm integration complements the structured and OO paradigms by a coupling of the IDEF0 model and the OO model. Through the paradigm integration, we can take advantages of the benefits from both of them. The seamless integration of the systems development cycle allows systems analysts, designers, and programmers to easily work together.

The FIDO methodology can be applied to such areas as enterprise systems integration, enterprise-wide information and database systems development, computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems development, business process reengineering (BPR), and quantitative evaluations of business processes.

The conceptual model is a model of the application domain as perceived by the users' community and the development team. It is a common reference framework upon which the users and the team communicate. It gives insight into the application and enables the development team to have a better understanding of the users needs. It is a basis for the design, prototyping, and implementation and, against which the design and implementation can be tested. It is the object of perfective maintenance, because it is closest to the user's understanding of the system and does not contain design and optimization decisions. This paper describes a conceptual modeling approach having the following features: 1) it is a graphical approach which can model both the static and dynamic aspects of the application in one model rather than a snapshot plus a process model; 2) it can be used to describe the real world semantics incrementally by gradually imposing more constraints to product a more detailed model; 3) it has a mthematical basis due to which many qualitative aspects such as consistency and liveness, can be tested formally and stepwisely; 4) it produces and executable specification which can be easily translated into a prolog program to simulate the behavior of the system being modeled. The approach has been applied to information systems and office document flow modeling. Prototype implementation of parts of the model will also be described briefly.

We peopose to design and implement a requirements engineering environment and a methodology to support conceptual modeling and requirements prototyping. The conceptual model we use is an executable bisual formalism that describes the application domain in a single cognitive model. Conceptual modeling enhances the developer's understanding of the application and reduces the probability of misconception. Based on the conceptual model, software requirements are specified. The conceptual model is extended and then automatically translated into an executable prototype; users could experiment with the prototype and request changes and enhancements. The environment also includes tools for checking model consistency and completeness, and requirements satisfiability.

The proposed work is the first of its kind to requirements engineering. The results allow software designers to rapidly and effectively specify the software requirements for large complex systems (such as modeling of engineering design processes), which is not possible with toady's design environments. The technologies can be applied to future generation CASe tools. The research also establishes a strong basis for cooperative research with industry to develop a life-cycle support environment for software development that will significantly improve software productivity.

Experimental assessment of conceptual modeling, rapid prototyping, formal verification and validation, and software reusability theories has seldom been conducted because such experiments are often costly without tool support. The proposed research enables us to conduct such experiments and derive useful conclusions and future directions from such studies.

Enterprise Engineering (EntEng) has emerged from the fields of industrial engineering and systems engineering to address the entire enterprise. EntEng is facilitated by many tools and techniques such as Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Enterprise Integration (EI), and Virtual Enterprise Engineering (VEE). The Society for Enterprise Engineering (SEE) defined EntEng as "that body of knowledge, principles, and practices having to do with the analysis, design, implementation, and operation of an enterprise." (1995)

The aim of Situation Theory (ST) is to develop a unified mathematical theory of meaning and information content with an interdisciplinary effort from cognitive science, computer science and artificial intelligence, engineering, linguistics, logic, philosophy, and mathematics. In short, ST is a theory about the "flow and support of information." Use of a holistic approach means that the whole system is viewed together rather than each piece individually. In this approach, object and subject are directly unified in an experiential view of truth. The most vital aspect of information flow is accuracy and simplicity. However, there are often significant problems with EntEng which is manifested in the fact that there are no current techniques to apply rigorous mathematics to semantic conveyance in the EntEng framework. A promising solution is ST, a new mathematical technique which we are proposing to apply in a new way as part of a holistic approach to EntEng which we will discuss.

The enterprise engineering (EE) philosophy has its basis in the design and analysis of organizations from a system perspective. EE is the body of knowledge, principles, and practices having to do with the analysis, design implementation, and operation of an enterprise. EE concepts affect the performance of an enterprise through articulating vision, changing culture, improving processes and developing appropriate technologies within an organization to accomplish specific enterprise objectives. EE not only focuses on continuous improvements but also on how to incorporate radically different and innovative process improvements, cultural changes and technology solutions into an organization. This paper presents EE methods as compatible and effective achieving radical improvement in TQM implementation in the agile organization.

In 1995, The Society for Enterprise Engineering defined Enterprise Engineering as "that body of knowledge, principles, and practices having to do with the analysis, design, implementation, and operation of an enterprise." The EntEng philosophy has its basis in the design analysis, and operation of an enterprise from a system perspective. The EntEng methodology is based ont he premise that technology should only be implemented after the basic foundations are put in place through a methodology developed at the UTA-Automation and Robotics Research Institute. The aim of Situation Theory (ST) is to develop a unified mathematical theory of meaning and information content with an interdisciplinary effort from cognitive science, computer science and artificial intelligence, engineering, linguistics, logic, philosophy, and mathematics. In short, ST is a theory about the "flow and support of information." There are often significant problems in EntEng manifested in the fact that there are no current techniques to apply rigorous mathematics to semantic conveyance and ST is proposed as a promising solution.

Project management (PM) is the means, techniques and concept to organize and run a project and achieve its objectives. In organizing for PM, we can think of three typical aspects such as systems approach, analytic approach and holistic approach that are useful in understanding the effectiveness and behavior of organization. Until now, many organizational theorists have developed various ways for organizations to improve efficiency and effectiveness. There are often significant problems with project management dealing with cultural interactions, however. A promising solution is Situation Theory, a new mathematical technique which we are proposing to apply in a new way as part of a holistic approach to organizing for PM which we will discuss.

Enterprise Engineernig is defined as that body of knowledge, principles, and practices having to do with the analysis, design, implementation and operation of an enterprise. In a continually changing and unpredictable competitive environment, the Enterprise Engineer addresses a fundamental question: "how to design and improve all elements associated with the total enterprise through the use of engineering and analysis methods and tools to more effectively achieve its goals and objectives". Industrial Engineering provides an analytical approach to the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, material, information, equipment and energy. It thereby provides the holistic view of the enterprise necessary for successful implementation of Enterprise Engineering. This paper discusses the emerging discipline of Enterprise Engineering.

Enterprise Engineering is defined as that body of knowledge, principles, and practices having to do with the analysis, design, implementation and operation of an enterprise. In a continually changing and unpredictable competitive environment, the Enterprise Engineer addresses a fundamental question: "how to design and improve all elements associated with the total enterprise through the use of engineering and analysis methods and tools to more effectively achieve its goals and objectives". Industrial Engineering provides an analytical approach to the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, material, information, equipment and energy. It thereby provides the holistic view of the enterprise necessary for successful implementation of Enterprise Engineering. This paper discusses the emerging discipline of Enterprise Engineering.

Enterprise Engineering is defined as that body of knowledge, principles, and practices having to do with the analysis, design, implementation and operation of an enterprise. In a continually changing and unpredictable competitive environment, the Enterprise Engineer addresses a fundamental question: "how to design and improve all elements associated with the total enterprise through the use of engineering and analysis methods and tools to more effectively achieve its goals and objectives". Industrial Engineering provides an analytical approach to the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, material, information, equipment and energy. It thereby provides the holistic view of the enterprise necessary for successful implementation of Enterprise Engineering. This paper discusses the emerging discipline of Enterprise Engineering.

The role of abstraction, or modeling, is a major element in Enterprise Engineering. Enterprise engineering deals with the analysis, design, implementation and operation of an enterprise. The Enterprise Engineer addresses a fundamental question: "how to design and improve all elements associated with the total enterprise through the use of engineering and analysis methods and tools to more effectively achieve its goals and objectives". This paper describes a describes a multi-view reference architecture for modeling an enterprise. It presents a modeling scheme under development which supports the architecture and acts as a tool for Enterprise Engineering.

The DIEF modeling methodolgoy of the US Air Force's integrated computer aided manufacturing (ICAM) program is a powerful tool for modeling the functional structure, the data needed to support the functions, and the dynamic behavior of a manufacturing enterprise. THe resulting function, information, and dynamics models provide three distinct but complimentary views of the system being modeled. A major deficiency of IDEF is the lack of cohesion between the three views whereby a single consistent description of the system is difficult to obtain, especially when the modeling domain is large and complex. Among its other limitations are difficulty in capturing the semantics of real-world systems in the information model, and a dynamics-modeling language unsuitable for modeling flexible manufacturing systems.

In this paper we propose an integrated framework for enterprise modeling (IFEM) that extends the IDEF methodology to include methods that overcome the above-mentioned shortcmings of IDEF. The use of IFEM and its advantages over IDEF are illustrated using examples from a reference architecture developed for a computer-integrated apparel manufacturing enterprise.

This paper describes a new project intended to provide a firmer theoretical and empirical foundation for such tasks as enterprise modeling, enterprise integration, and process re-engineering.

The project includes (1) collecting examples of how different organizations perform similar processes, and (2) representing these examples in an on-line "process handbook" which includes the relative advantages of the alternatives. The handbook is intended to help (a) redesign existing organizational processes, (b) invent new organizational processes that take advantage of information technology, and perhaps (c) automatically generate software to support organizational proceses.

A key element of this work is a novel approach to representing processes at various levels of abstraction. This approach uses ideas from computer science about inheritence and from coordination theory about managing dependencies. Its primary advantage is that it allows users to easily find or generate sensible alternatives for how a given process should be performed.

This paper describes a novel theoretical and empirical approach to tasks such as business process redesign, enterprise modeling, and software development. The project involves collecting examples of how different organizations perform similar processes, and organizing these examples in an on-line "process handbook". The handbook is intended to help people: (1) redesign existing organizational processes, (2) invent new organizational processes (especially ones that take advantage of information technology), (3) learn about organizations, and (4) automatically generate software to support organizational processes.

A key element of the work is an approach to analyzing processes at various levels of abstraction, thus capturing both the details of specific processes as well as the "deep structure" of their similarities. This approach uses ideas from computer science about inheritance and from coordination theory about managing dependencies. A primary advantage of the approach is that it allows people to explicitly represent the similarities (and differences) among related processes and to easily find or generate sensible alternatives for how a given process could be performed. In addition to describing this new approach, the work reported here demonstrates the basic technical feasibility of these ideas.

Today the modeling of an enterprise is enabled by various methods which are used for different putproses and views upon th eenteprise. Using an object-oriented approach the Integrated Enterprise Modeling (IEM) concept will integrate different modelling views in one consistent manufacturing enterprise model and will provide a modelling base for construction of an enterprise model from a user's point of view. It will lead the user from a general CIM architecure given by predefined model structures to a particular model and architecture ofthe system support in his own manufacturing enterprse which are the essential tasks towards an enterprise wide and integrative usage of information technology.

Therefore the basic constructs like obkect class structure and a related process description mehods via the generic activity model will be presented. The kernal and hte main views of a manufacutring enterprise model will be derived. An example using the IEM concept for the specific view of CIM planning and introduction will clarify the main features of hte concept. A comparison with CIMOSA project will be done.

This Tech Brief is actually a collection of articles. These articles are titled:

A. Applications of Modern Systems Analysis Paradigms to the Development of Complex Systems

B. Structured Enterprise Modeling

C. Structured Approached for Supporting the Development of Enterprise Strategic Planning

D. Modern Structured Analysis Approaches that Enhance Product Development and Manufacturing Processes (copies of presentation overheads)

Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) information systems have become extremely important to the global competitiveness of most manufacturing firms. And although much has been written about CIM development and implementation, many problems still plague practitioners. For example, lack of integratin, islands of automation, sub-optimization resources, and the inability to migrate to future technology are a few types of problems. Further, few methodologies have been developed that systematically address these issues. In this paper, we ourline an Object-Oriented approach to modeling manufacturing enterprises. The approach offers a procedure and techniques for defining CIM information systems architectures which could serve as blueprints for CIM development and implementation in manufacturing enterprises.

A software technology for integrating people and computer systems in large, geographically dispersed manufacturing enterprises is described. The framework is based on the vision of a very large number (perhaps tens of thousands) of computerized assistants, known as Intelligent Agents, or IA's. Each IA supports a clearly discernible task or job function, automating what it can and calling on the services of other IA's when necessary. IA's can interact directly via a message bus, or through a shared, distributed model (i.e., knowledge base) of the enterprise. Humans participate in this society of agents through personal assistants (or PA's), a special type of IA that knows how to communicate both with humans, through multimedia interfaces, and with other IA's and the shared knowledge base. Underlying the framwework is the notion of an enterprise model that is built by dividing complex enterprise operations into a collection of elementary tasks or activities. Each such task is then modeled in cognitive terms and entrusted to an IA for execution. CASE tools supported by a library of activity models permit every individual in an enterprise to model the activities with which they are personally most familiar. The preliminary experimental results suggest that this divide and conquer strategy, leading to cognitive models that are buildable and maintainable by end-users, is a viable approach to real world distributed IA. Moreover, it is believed that such a grass-roots, incremental modeling approach is the only practical way to integrate a complex enterprise.

The author reviews methodologies and modelling tools which have been developed for use in manufacturing systems. The strengths and weaknesses of the different tools are discussed, and examples of applications are given. An understanding of general systems theory as identified by Checkland (1981) is assumed. The methodologies and modelling techniques discussed make the common assumption that systems concepts, such as organised interconnectedness and emergent properties, apply in the context of the problem domain. The modelling tools may be used to model business processes including: all the planning and control processes, process technology and management and administrative. Following the review of the methodologies and modelling techniques a practical guide in the form of a table is proposed for business processes.

Efforts to improve enterprise performance depend to a large extent on models of enterprise processes created for analysis and design. This paper describes a modeling scheme which supports the development of a multi-view model of an enterprise and its processes. The paper first presents an overview of the efforts such as business process reengineering, enterprise integration, and enterprise engineering which make use of process models. The paper then presents the modeling scheme which uses the IDEF suite of modeling methods to build integrated business rule, activity, resource, business process, and organizational views of the enterprise. The scheme is built from a central IDEF5 model of the enterprise from which the other views are extracted.

This paper describes the development of a comprehensive enterprise model of a generalized small manufacturing organization. This model will provide activity, organizational, information, resource, and process views of a company which provides an integrated picture of the enterprise. To date, the activity and process views have been developed. These views and the efforts to fully develop the other views and the use of this model by companies wishing to develop their own enterprise architecture will be discussed.

Enterprise engineering deals with the analysis, design, implementation and operation of an enterprise. The role of abstraction, or modeling, is a major element in enterprise engineering. A modeling method to support enterprise engineering must have certain characteristics including the ability to represent multiple views of the enterprise, support multiple means of analysis, support a top down design of business processes and enterprises, integrate with currently available and accepted methods, and support the development and use of templates or building blocks to aid in process engineering. Current modeling methods do not adequately support these requirements.

This work describes a modeling scheme specifically developed to meet the modeling needs of enterprise engineering. The scheme uses and integrates accepted modeling methods to build an integrated, multi-view model of the enterprise. The views represented in the scheme are the business rule, activity, resource, business process and organization views. Modeling methods from the IDEF suite of tools, specifically IDEF0, IDEF3, and IDEF5, are used to develop the views. Included in the research is the definition of a high level metamodel or ontology of the entities and relationships which characterize an enterprise. The multiple views are defined by specifying the entities and relationships particular to each view. The central ontology model serves to ensure the integration and consistency of the views. The research also presents a technique for developing a model using the representation scheme. This technique describes the high level steps which would be performed when modeling an enterprise using the representation scheme.

A holon or agent based approach to identifying and representing activities and resources is used. Holons are used to describe any entity which is at the same time a whole unto itself, and a part of other wholes. Holons belong to temporary structures called holarchies consisting of self contained units capable of functioning independently but which are nevertheless dependent on other units to meet a specific set of temporal goals and objectives. This research uses holons to encapsulate processes with the actors performing the process and the concept of the holarchy to represent the structure of enterprises.

Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) has been recommended for scientifically evaluating complex environments. One such environment includes organizational processes. This paper proposes a methodological approach for organizational product and process innovation based on SSM theory using two application tools that have gained popularity in the "enterprise engineering" field. The methodology, and its variants, rely on a series of phases that seek to elicit information from complex and amorphous real world practices, processes and information and develop models of these systems. The two tools that have proven useful in support of this methodology are based on quality function deployment (QFD) and IDEF0 techniques. The paper will illustrate the utility of the methodology and tools by showing their application to an innovative practical case research project that included the development of an organizational decision support system for strategic justification of enterprise technology. This resulting innovation has been applied in actual organizational settings. SSM implications in ‘breakthrough’ or radical innovation environments are also discussed.

This work describes an environment for the implementation of engineering information systems in a integrated form, the "Engineering Integrated Environment" (EIE). This environment contains the enterprise model, engineering meta deta base, users, computational architecture and management of information and activity functions. A brief review of concurrent engineering is presented as well as its management aspects. In this context, a framework of strategic planning for integrated manufacturing is also shown.

This work describes an environment for the implementation of engineering information systems in a integrated form, the "Engineering Integrated Environment" (EIE). This environment contains the enterprise model, engineering metadata base, users, computational architecture and management of information and activity functions. A brief review of Concurrent Engineering is presented as well as its management aspects. In this context, a framework of strategic planning for integrated manufacturing is also shown.

Many attempts at implementing Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) technologies are unsuccessful. This paper presents a methodology for the strategic management of technologies such as those involved in CIM. This methodology, entitled the Enterprise Engineering methodology, is based on the premis that technology should only be implemented after the basic foundations are put in place. The methodology is an integrated sociotechnical framework that addresses organizational, cultural, process, and technological issues. To place the methodology in focus, the paper first presents an overview of the current manufacturing environment. The methodology is then discussed in depth. The development and implementation experiences with the methodology are also presented.

Internal benchmarking is an effective method for aiding organizations continuosly improve their business processes. Analytical methods to aid in internal benchmarking efforts have been limited. To aid decision makers and analyst in this critical process, through consideration of multiple performance measures, a methododlogy based on some of the latest advances in data envelopment analysis is presented. The methodology can be supported with the use of enterprise modeling tools that allow for a systemic analysis of an organization's activities. An illustrative example provides additional managerial insights and research directions.

A rough modeling methodology is presented, using the European Prestandard ENV 40 003 1990-04-18 "CIM-Systems Architecture- Framework for Enterprise Modeling" (CIM-OSA cube) as a guiding framework.

In the 1990s, the notion of virtual companies has sparked extensive discussion and speculation - not to mention a fair amount of scepticism. Quite often, the dialogue has produced more questions than answers, and most of the answers so far have been tentative or incomplete. However, a group of 19 small companiesine astern Pennsylvania has begun to fill in some of the blanks. Collectively, they are known as the Agile Web, and they have been shaping a vitual enterprise model that other small businesses may want to emulate. The Agile Web is a serious attempt by progressive entrepreneurs to enhance the success of their business and to improve their stature at a time when large corporate customes are cutting back on the number of small suppliers they deal with.

The authors propose a modelling methodology for integrating function and information in CIM systems. Two distinct views of an enterprise, function and infromation are integrated into an integrated modeling environment. Thr proposed modeling methodology and supporting theory allows us to view and model the system differently from conventional methods by integrating different aspects using the OO paradigm.

The Enterprise Modeling Framework(EMF) consist of a methodology for modeling the three major facets of an enterprise, viz., function, information and dynamics. Its main goal is to enable integration of enterprise through shared, consistent models. EMF activity (function) and entity(information) models have been designed to include the information needed for discrete-event simulation of the enterprise functions. The EMF-SIMAN model generator automatically generates SIMAN code from these models. This tool has been applied to solve a real-world problem whose solution required the integration of enterprise modeling with discrete-event simulation. The paper discusses how EMF integrates simulation with enterprise modeling, the resulting benefits, and a real-world application of EMF.

An industry specific application architecture is a framework for integrating applications and databases and can be used for analyzing and re-engineering the busienss of an enterprise as a whole, provided it is structured correctly. THis paper describes the motivation, structure, and possible uses of the Retail Application Architecture (RAA). The core of RAA is a set of generic enterprise models for companies in the retail and wholesale distribution industry. RAA is oriented as much to the business expert as to the information systems department. The goal of RAA is to contribute to the task of building sound business systems in a more efficient and effective manner.

New approaches to decision-making have been necessary that integrate all the functions of manufacturing enterprises. This paper presents the formulation of a dynamic decision model of the operations subsystem of an integrated manufacturing enterprise. The main features of this discrete-time model include nonegative state variables, nonnegative controls, linear dynamics, non-linear feedback controls, and a delay between orders received and delivery of orders. The dynamic description of the operations subsystem accounts for backlogs. Lyapunov's second method allows one to derive algorithms for inventory and delivery control. These controls are validated by a computer simulation. The algorithms exhibit a hierarchical form that seems very amenable for actual implementation in an enterprise.

This paper discusses the inclusion of the human element in enterprise modelling as a possible means to support socio-technical design. Particular emphasis will be palced in the role of modelling architectures in the derivation of information specifications for shop floor information systems.The need for includiing the human element in enterprise modelling is identified and an approach to modlling the human interacton in a company proposed. This work is set in the context of contemporary approaches to enterprise modelling.

The objective of this dissertation is to develop an integrated method to engineer an enterprise. This method will be an IDEF0 representation of how to continuously engineer an enterprise using proven engineering principles. Referred to as Perform Continuous Enterprise Engineering (PCEE), this method will be holistic in scope and decompositional in nature. It is intended to be an iterative method that emphasizes conceptual designs at the enterprise level of abstraction and functional designs at the operational level of abstraction. PCEE will integrate the conceptual and functional designs into a cohesive set of activities to engineer an enterprise. In addition, a field engineer's handbook will be developed that bridges the gap between theory and application. The handbook will provide enterprise engineers with a step by step guide to engineer an enterprise based on the PCEE method. To fulfill the requirements of this task, a case study research approach will be used to update and improve the current enterprise engineering method developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington in 1991.

This paper proposes a referencing relationship between the Industrial and Enterprise Engineering disciplines and a logical linkage between their principles and practices. It is being proposed that the discipline of Enterprise Engineering uniquely builds upon reference disciplines in humanities, sciences, and engineering, specifically Industrial Engineering (IE).

Industrial Engineering has historically studied the interaction of humans and machines. Through this study, specific principles and practices have been established to address problems associated with improving human/machine interaction. Enterprise Engineering applies these principles and practices to the entire enterprise. Enterprise Engineering views the enterprise as a complex system of processes that can be engineered to accomplish specific organizational objectives [Liles et al, 1996]. Principles and practices of Industrial Engineering and other reference disciplines are adapted to engineer processes at a level of abstraction commonly considered systems.

This paper will explore the contributions of Industrial Engineering as a reference discipline to Enterprise Engineering including a logical progression of thought that traces the abstraction of principles and practices.

This paper will explore the initial findings of on-going research to develop a method for continuous enterprise engineering. A pilot case study will be described that reveals insight into the activities small enterprises conduct to engineer themselves and how these activities are implemented. Findings include transformation strategies directly linked to customer demands such as real-time shop floor and inventory control. A discussion of the results follows that proposes future research directions. Changes to the interview instrument are discussed as a result of the pilot study.

Enterprise engineering, "that body of knowledge, principles, and practices having to do with the analysis, design, implementation and operation of an enterprise" has been performed by Santech Industries with assistance from the Automation and Robotics Research Institute (ARRI) and local consultants [SEE, 1995]. Santech, a small manufacturer and distributor of gaskets and rubber molded products for the automotive after market, has performed enterprise engineering using the Enterprise Engineering Methodology (EEM) developed by ARRI as a foundation [Liles, 1991; Presley, 1993].

The process used by Santech to engineer their enterprise closely resembles the general categories of principles and practices described by Liles [1995]. Liles characterizes the principles and practices of enterprise engineering as a discipline to include theory, abstraction, design and implementation.

Theory provides the foundation from which practical applications evolve. Theory is composed of characterizing objects of study, hypothesizing possible relationships among them, determining whether the relationships are true and interpreting the results [Denning, 1989]. Santech developed a theoretical foundation by working closely with ARRI personnel to understand the philosophies and concepts described in the Enterprise Engineering Methodology. The EEM is a IDEF0 functional model for transforming an enterprise. The A0 level discusses the importance of developing a vision and set of supporting strategies, changing culture, integrating and improving enterprise processes and developing technology solutions [Liles, 1991; Presley, 1993]. Under ARRI’s guidance, Santech developed a vision of where they wanted to go as an enterprise. To support this vision, ARRI assisted Santech in implementing a set of strategies to address cultural change, process improvement and technological solutions in accordance with the EEM.

Abstraction provides the means for engineers to represent the object of study in a manner that can be tested. The process of abstraction involves forming a hypothesis, constructing a model, making a prediction, designing an experiment, collecting data and analyzing the results [Denning, 1989]. Santech’s version of abstraction involved intense observation and study of Rheaco Incorporated who was implementing their enterprise design. After careful study and analysis of Rheaco’s implementation, Santech constructed a model of their enterprise using several techniques and tools.

Design is the iterative process of generating alternatives that meet identified needs. This process is composed of four parts: preparation, incubation, illumination and resolution [Kim, 1990]. Based on their enterprise model and their observations of Rheaco, Santech developed an enterprise design. Developed primarily by the CEO, this design incorporated the EEM, lessons learned from Rheaco and current literature. The resulting design reflected the CEO’s desire to have an enterprise with few levels of hierarchy, empowered associates and dramatic process improvements.

Implementation is the process of modifying the enterprise to meet the specifications of the design. Though the process of implementation is dependent on the design, a common element of all implementation processes is feedback. Once the design is in place, it can be further analyzed for improvements through feedback mechanisms. To implement Santech’s design, consultants were used for technical and emotional support. The implementation process followed an ordered progression of activities intended to transform the enterprise over a very short period of time. Through feedback from associates and the enterprise environment, the design is under constant review to address new challenges.

Through this experience, Santech has engineered their enterprise to address their specific needs. Santech’s approach to enterprise engineering followed the principles and practices described by Liles, thus providing support for enterprise engineering as a discipline [Liles, 1995].

The small manufacturing enterprise has a lot to gain by becoming more agile. The difficulty for most of these organizations lies in their lack of resources to effectively plan and implement agile concepts. We show how one small manufacturer, Rheaco, Inc., has been able to grasp agile opportunities using an enterprise engineering framework. This framework allowed Rheaco to rebuild an organization that is more able to respond to and thrive in an environment of continuous unanticipated change. A number of examples of agility are provided that have impacted Rheaco at various organizational levels and are described within the context of the enterprise engineering framework.

Santech Industries, a small distributor of seals and gaskets for the automotive after market, has pursued four dimensions of agility [Goldman et al., 1995] through an integrated enterprise engineering methodology developed by the Automation & Robotics Research Institute (ARRI) of The University of Texas at Arlington [Liles et al., 1991; Presley et al., 1993]. Agility, an elusive concept that has many organizations scrambling for answers, is approachable through ARRI's integrated enterprise engineering methodology that considers changes in people, processes, technology, and their relationship to the strategic vision. Using this methodology as a foundation, Santech developed and implemented specific strategies to pursue each agile dimension: enriching the customer, cooperating to enhance competitiveness, organizing to master change, and leveraging the impact of people and information. This paper describes Santech's pursuit of agility, using real company data.

This document presents the Enterprise Ontology, a collection of terms and definitions relevant to business enterprises. It was developed as part of the Enterprise Project, a collaborative effort to provide a framework for enterprise modeling. The Enterprise Ontology will serve as a basis for this framework which includes methods and a computer toolset for enterprise modeling.

We give an overview of the Enterprise Project, elaborate on the intended use of the Ontology, and discuss the process we went through to build it. The scope of the Enterprise Ontology is limited to those core concepts required for the project, however it is expected that it will appeal to a wider audience. It should not be considered static; during the course of the project, the Enterprise Ontology will be further refined and extended.

CIMOSA is an Open Systems Architecture for CIM which incldes an enterprise modelling framework. The CIMOSA Modelling Framework and its major modelling constructs are discussed in this paper.

A critical component of any information infrastructure is a common understanding of the enterprise. Enterprise models enable this common understanding. The enterprise model can provide a comprehensive understanding of the environment the information infrastructure is designed to support. Models are typically developed from one of five perspectives or views. The different model views are presented and a comparison of these views are discussed. These five views are: business rule, activity, business process, resource, and organization views. The primary concern in this research is the identification of the issues of multiple views of an enterprise or system. Most project managers do not consider the issues pertaining to a multiple view model of a system. These managers develop and even maintain multiple types of models for different purposes. These multiple types of models are generally developed on an ad hoc basis. By understanding the issues relating to maintaining multiple views of an enterprise, the benefits of multiple views can be realized while minimizing its difficulties. Three approaches to integrating multiple views are explained and their relative shortcomings are discussed.

Design and analysis of an enterprise frequently requires a model of the enterprise. These models are often viewed as a means to an end and are considered to have no intrinsic value in themselves beyond the purpose for which they were created. We propose that a living enterprise model will give the model value in itself to the enterprise. In this paper, we provide an explanation of what is meant by a living enterprise model. We give an overview of enterprise modeling along with key definitions. Ongoing enterprise efforts are reviewed as they relate to a living enterprise model. We then discuss the needs and requirements of living enterprise models and list some key issues. Finally, proposed future directions are presented.

This paper presents a framework for creating an agile supply chain. Agility is defined in terms of agile determinants, agile dimensions, and agile characteristics. The concept of manufacturing must go beyond the traditional factory floor and encompass the entire interlocking chain of internal/external elements called the Extended Enterprise Supply Chain. Supply chain optimization in the extended enterprise involves far more than the coordination of schedules and material flow. Creating the agile supply chain requires viewing the chain as a holistic system comprised of six basic activities of an enterprise. A short example has been presented to illustrate the potential use of the four dimensions of agility: Cooperating to Enhance Competitiveness, Enriching the Customer, Mastering Change and Uncertainty, and Leveraging the Impact of People and Information with the agility determinants: Cost, Time, Robustness and Scope to develop enhanced enterprise models.