Applications of decision support and expert systems in flexible manufacturing systems

This article surveys a number of available decision support and expert systems applications in flexible manufacturing after reviewing the features of each one and then proposes additional potential applications. It appears that what is holding back the widespread use of FMS is not the technology, but is some management issues. Many decisions are made in planning and operating FMS that can be categorized into three classes of strategic, tactical, and operational decisions. Each class can be further categorized into structured, semistructured, and unstructured decisions. The article provides examples of FMS decision in each of nine groups and show that use of DSS&ES can be productive. The article finally provides hints for successful DSS and ES implementation. Subjects include getting management involved, choosing a key application, manage vendor involvement, paying attention to maintenance, assigning qualified personnel, paying attention to training, and always reviewing the results.