Manufacturing Workflow Modeling With Meta-Workflow Suggestions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing workflow modeling systems are complex and time-consuming, prone to errors, and lack intuitive tools for creating workflows, especially in large and intricate processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize meta-workflows (MWFs) to assist users in creating manufacturing workflows by searching for similarities within workflows, proposing missing steps, and automatically or semi-automatically completing workflow definitions, leveraging a library of abstracted workflow patterns and semantic tags, and integrating with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional manual workflow modeling is used, then users can create custom workflows, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-defining workflow patterns and meta-workflows that capture common manufacturing processes. When users need to create a workflow, they can select from these pre-configured patterns rather than building from scratch, significantly reducing the time and effort required for workflow modeling while maintaining the ability to customize specific details.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copying by allowing users to select and instantiate meta-workflows that represent proven workflow patterns from a library. These meta-workflows can be copied and adapted for specific manufacturing scenarios, reducing the need to manually design each workflow from scratch and minimizing errors associated with manual creation.
2Ease of operation
If comprehensive workflow patterns are provided, then workflow creation is assisted, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies segmentation by dividing workflows into hierarchical levels: meta-workflows (high-level patterns), workflow patterns (intermediate templates), and specific workflow instances (detailed implementations). This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by organizing workflow knowledge into reusable, modular components that can be selected and composed without overwhelming the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces meta-workflows as intermediaries between the complex pattern library and the user. Meta-workflows serve as simplified representations that mediate between the detailed workflow patterns available in the library and the user's specific needs, allowing users to work with high-level abstractions while the system handles the complexity of underlying patterns.
3Productivity
If workflow patterns are automatically selected, then modeling time is reduced, but accuracy of pattern matching may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by allowing users to review, accept, modify, or reject the automatically selected meta-workflows and workflow patterns. The system provides suggestions based on automated analysis, but users can provide feedback to refine the selection, ensuring both efficiency from automation and accuracy from human judgment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by performing automated pattern matching and selection for the structure and flow of workflows, while leaving detailed customization and specific parameter configuration to the user. This partial automation achieves efficiency in the modeling process while maintaining accuracy in the final workflow definition through user review and adjustment.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention concerns a method and system for automatically assisting a user in a creation of a manufacturing workflow - hereafter WF - for manufacturing a product, the method comprising: a) receiving (101) a graphical user input in an editing area (211A) designed for creating a manufacturing WF, wherein said graphical user input comprises at least a WF starting node; b) automatically selecting (102) in a meta-workflow - hereafter MWF - library (212), in response to the received graphical user input and in function of the latter, one or several MWF, wherein each of said selected MWF is a graphical pattern starting with said WF starting node and ending with a WF ending node, the latter being connected to each other through a sequence of interconnected decision and/or activity nodes (412, 413); c) automatically displaying (103) said one or several selected MWF in a display box (211B); d) receiving (104) a selection of one of the displayed MWF; e) automatically displaying (105) the selected MWF in the editing area; f) creating (106) a manufacturing WF from the MWF displayed in the editing area (211A), wherein an auto-suggestion process is used for associating each node of the MWF to a manufacturing operation, wherein for each activity node, a manufacturing operation involving an action is automatically suggested, and for each decision node, a manufacturing operation involving a decision is automatically suggested.