Distributing decision making using Java simulation across the World Wide Web

This paper describes a prototype distributed, multi-user Internet based simulation environment, written in Java, and its application to decision making. An example of its use is presented in the context of manufacturing. The motivating factor behind this work is the rapid development in computer controlled plants and systems, such as automated production lines. The growth in flexibility offered by computer control has led to increasing speed and complexity in scheduling of these systems. Making such decisions often requires the very high costs of moving expert modellers and Operational Research staff to factory sites. Following developments in computer supported concurrent working and concurrent engineering, it is suggested that a means for working in a geographically distributed manner is desirable. The availability of Internet based solutions, exploiting Java's distributed client server architecture, makes it possible to prototype such ideas in a generally accessible manner. An environment built along those lines is described here. Its benefits are shown through a case study and ideas for future work are explored.