An Orders Release reference model as a link between production management and shop floor control software

Abstract This paper presents a data-oriented reference model for the Orders Release process that forms the link between the production planning system and the production execution system. The terms planning system and execution system are recursively meant at all levels of the ISO manufacturing model (enterprise-factory-cell-work centre). A Releaser generic architecture is described in the form of a module structure that includes an Order Manager, a Material Manager and a Capacity Manager. The architecture is further decomposed into a data model layer and a function layer building a reference model with generic, partial and particular views. Those views are based on a production systems typology and the analysis of the influence of the typological characteristics on the Orders Release process.