Modelling process platforms based on an object-oriented visual diagrammatic modelling language

Process platforms have been recognised as a promising means of dealing with product variety while achieving a near mass production efficiency. To assist practitioners to better understand, implement and use process platforms, this study addresses the underlying logic for coping with the challenges in high variety production by adopting process platforms. Accordingly, this paper proposes to model process platforms with focus on the application processes. In view of the significance of dynamic modelling and visualisation in shedding light on the logic of any processes, this study introduces a visual diagrammatic modelling language based on object-oriented (OO) techniques, named as OOVDML. With the graphical notations, uniquely shaped symbols, syntax and semantics, control mechanisms and arrangement rules, the OOVDML not only captures the logic of process platform's application but also provides a visualisation of their behaviours in a holistic view. Moreover, incorporating OO modelling allows readers to focus on their own interests. This study approaches to modelling process platform's application with respect to activities pertaining to customer order processing, engineering change control and production job planning. An industrial example of electronics products is also reported. The results of the case study not only show the suitability of the OOVDML but also shed light on the dynamic behaviours of process platforms.