Just-in-Time Simulation Using Artificial Intelligence

The shortcomings of process-oriented simulation languages for modeling various types of kanbans in a Just-in-time (JIT) system are outlined in this paper. To circumvent these modeling difficulties, a rule-based simulator (JITSAI) has been designed and implemented using LISP/VM Language on an IBM 4381 computer. The simulator includes efficient user interfaces, static and dynamic databases, primitives for each of the JIT modeling and simulation issues, a domain-specific rulebase interfaced with an event planner, an explanation subsystem and an inference mechanism. Two simulation experiments conducted on a JIT system to illustrate the current features of the JITSAI simulator are discussed.