This work presents a Decision Support System (DSS) with a hybrid approach, using Simulation and coloured Petri Nets as modeling techniques of manufacturing processes, associated with an Expert System (ES) to help in their use. The DSS provides a friendly interface for the user who, after selecting input parameters, obtains sets of data about the manufacturing process. To validate the proposed DSS, tests have been made using a real plant of footwear manufacturing. The objectives of the case study were to elaborate a group of proposals for improving the productive system performance, to evaluate the impacts created by change on the model parameters and to provide a better understanding about the productive plant. The results offer assistance on decision making and documentation processes. The DSS renders possible for managers, without any knowledge of modeling techniques, to manipulate sets of data and to interact with the system. The developed model can be used for any industrial plant, provided that the model input parameters are adequately adjusted.
Simulation; Decision Support System; Petri Nets; Expert Systems; Coloured Petri Nets
