INTELLIGENT SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN A DYNAMIC MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT

In a dynamic competitive environment where consumer demands are getting more sophisticated and technology advancement is very fast, a firm that can quickly improve its workforce's skill level to match the introduction of advanced manufacturing technology will gain a competitive edge. This paper discusses how expert system technology should be modified and integrated with conventional analytical techniques like statistical estimation, pattern recognition, parameter estimation, etc., to provide on-line assistance to less experienced production operators, as well as to provide off-line support of continuous learning and the accumulation of experiences. A new paradigm that integrates the fault-tree (AND-OR graph) and the flow chart is developed. It is shown how such a paradigm can be applied to various applications in the production process, and how it can play an important role in the continuous learning process which will increase the speed of the workforce's skill improvement and production performance.