A multi-agent approach for the capacity allocation problem

This paper proposes a new approach for the problem of allocating production capacity to multiple requirements, based on the Multi-Agents paradigm. The proposed system is a distributed, decentralised system that presents many advantages over the traditional centralised algorithms. Among the others it is more flexible, more reactive, and easily understandable. Moreover, a prototype of personal digital assistant is described. Such an assistant is able to support distributed decision-making in companies where several product lines compete for the same resources, in a contest of swiftly changing and scarcely foreseeable demand. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.