Managing the development of manufacturing systems software using a unified framework

Abstract

Software has become a principal component in today's agile manufacturing systems. The ability to deliver software that satisfies the original requirements and expectations within budgeted time and cost is one of the major factors in determining the success of the project. While existing software engineering techniques are available for the effective design of complex software systems, much of the effort relies on a designer's experience and intuition. The paper presents a unified framework that aims to quantify software development and to assist engineers to manage the development process in order that not only the quality of the software produced is assured, but also the development process. The application of the framework to the development of supervisory software for a conveyor-based flexible manufacturing cell (FMC) is illustrated.