A classification schema of manufacturing decisions for the GRAI enterprise modelling technique

The Graphs with Results and Actions Inter-related (GRAI) methodology and its development the GRAI Integrated Methodology (GIM) are established enterprise modelling (EM) techniques for representing the decision architecture of manufacturing systems. However, they lack the support of certain modelling constructs, which in turn can lead to inconsistent and inadequate results. To help address this issue, this paper proposes a classification schema of manufacturing decisions that will facilitate the identification and analysis of decisions for constructing GRAI models. The classification schema is based on: (i) a continuum of organisational decision characteristics; (ii) a categorisation of manufacturing decision domains (DDs) and (iii) a list of manufacturing system configurations. By using this schema during the initial analysis phase and the model construction phase, it is possible to improve the process of identifying key manufacturing decisions and the associated processes, activities and entities. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.