Benchmark generation algorithm for stochastic mixed model assembly shop simulation and optimization

The Operations Research (OR) community have defined many deterministic manufacturing control problems mainly focused on scheduling. Well-defined benchmark problems provide a mechanism for communication of the effectiveness of different optimization algorithms. Manufacturing problems within industry are stochastic and complex. Common features of these problems include: variable demand, machine part specific breakdown patterns, part machine specific process durations, continuous production, Finished Goods Inventory (FGI) buffers, bottleneck machines and limited production capacity. Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is a commonly used tool for studying manufacturing systems of realistic complexity. There are few reports of detail-rich benchmark problems for use within the simulation optimization community that are as complex as those faced by production managers. This work details an algorithm that can be used to create single and multistage production control problems. The reported software implementation of the algorithm generates text files in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format that are easily edited and understood as well as being cross-platform compatible. The distribution and acceptance of benchmark problems generated with the algorithm would enable researchers working on simulation and optimization of manufacturing problems to effectively communicate results to benefit the field in general.

The application of single-source publishing to e-government

The following article provides an introductory overview of Extensible Markup Language (XML) and how it may be applied to certain processes of e-government to improve accessibility to government services as well as to make governments’ services more widely available. In particular, this discussion explores how the kind of single-source framework used in digital publishing can be used to drive the storage, delivery, and exchange of e-government information and services. The first section of this article provides a basic introduction to XML. The second part illustrates how content is prepared and disseminated using XML, providing some existing and hypothetical examples of this single-source approach. The final section looks at future trends as well as some of the challenges that may be encountered when using this XML-based single-source framework.

REDDL

Electronic document editor software is traditionally complex to design and difficult to implement. This research resulted in REDDL, a language for the specification of electronic document editors at a simplified declarative level, employing a deterministic storage model. This approach allows rapid and simplified development of this class of software.