Production Simulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016110662-A1
Application number	US-201314888033-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 22, 2013
Priority date	May 22, 2013
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein relate to simulating production of an order. In one implementation, a processor extracts information about process flow of an order through resources, resource policy, and prioritization within the production environment from information related to the fulfillment of the previous orders. The processor may create a simulation of the fulfillment of new orders within the production environment based on the extracted information.

First claim

1 . A computing system, comprising:
a storage to store information related to the fulfillment of previous orders associated with a production environment; and a processor to:
extract information about process flow of an order through resources, resource policy, and prioritization within the production environment from the information related to the fulfillment of the previous orders; and
create a simulation of the fulfillment of new orders within the production environment based on the extracted information.

2 . The computing system claim 1 , wherein the processor is further to:
compare a view of the previous order information based on at least one of an order, a part, and a product to a view of the previous order information based on a resource; determine an inconsistency in the previous order information based on the comparison; and update the previous order to remove the inconsistency.

3 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further to group events in the previous order information into sessions.

4 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein creating the simulation comprises creating the simulation of a new custom order based on a degree of similarity of the new custom order to a past order.

5 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the production environment comprises a print service provider production environment to produce custom print orders.

6 . A method, comprising:
determining, based on an event log representing the flow of previous orders through a production system, the flow of producing an order through resources of a production system; determining, based on the event log, the prioritization of different types of orders within the production system; determining, based on the event log, a resource policy related to assigning an order to a resource in the production system; and creating, by a processor, a simulation of the production system to fulfill a group of orders based on the determined flow, prioritization, and resource policy.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the policy comprises at least one of: capability, capacity, availability, speed, cost, and interruption pattern.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the graph includes an exception flow related to cases where there is an exception to the typical flow process.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein creating a simulation comprises determining the flow of a new order through the production system based on the flow of a similar previous order through the production system.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the prioritization information may include multiple prioritization rules where different prioritization rules are applied in different circumstances.

11 . A machine readable non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to:
compare a new order to previous orders in a production system to select a similar previous order; determine a flow of the new order through a production system graph based on the flow of the selected similar previous order through the production system graph; create a simulation of the production system including the new order based on the determined flow, wherein the new order is scheduled within the production system graph based on prioritization and policy information related to the production system; and output information related to the simulation.

12 . The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions to:
receive information about a customer intent; and translate the customer intent into the new order, wherein the new order includes criteria related to the production system.

13 . The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions to select a similar previous order based on a comparison of at least one of service level, equipment type, labor type, and order volume of the new custom order to the previous order.

14 . The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions to determine the production system prioritization of order types based on an analysis of the production system graph.

15 . The machine-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions to determine the production system policy information related to at least one of labor and equipment based on an analysis of the production system graph.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Dispoto Gary J
• Zeng Jun
• Amir Gidi
• Shaham Noam

Classifications

• G06Q10/06

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06Q10/06311

  Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group · CPC title

• G06Q10/0633

  Workflow analysis · CPC title

• Y02P90/30

  Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing · CPC title

• G06Q10/067 Primary

  Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title