DOCUMENT-CENTERED INFORMATION-SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT REACTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING IN MANUFACTURING

This paper develops and illustrates a methodology for building documen t-based information systems to support collaborative manufacturing pro blem-solving. The paper begins with an exploratory case study to under stand the information requirements for reactive problem-solving in man ufacturing. We focus on the communication mechanisms, decision-making processes, and implementation issues to address problems that arise du e to materials shortage in an electronics assembly plant. Based upon o bservations from this case study, we describe a conceptual framework f or computer-supported reactive problem-solving that emphasizes parsimo ny and generalizability. The framework consists of 4 layers-organizati onal process, computational process, data/information model, and netwo rk architecture-to link the necessary interactions between people, app lication systems, database structures, and hardware. To better support the collaborative needs of reactive problem-solving, we extend existi ng manufacturing information models to incorporate collaborative distr ibuted hypermedia (or interlinked networks of structured multimedia do cuments), and provide details of a novel strategy to develop computer support for effective reactive problem-solving.