Interoperability and Supply Chain

Copyright 2006

Interoperability and Supply Chain

1CIFE TAC 2006

Interoperability and Supply ChainInteroperability and Supply Chain

Kincho H. Law, Gio Wiederhold,

Charles Han, Jack Cheng

Copyright 2006


2CIFE TAC 2006

The big idea

Service Integration and Information Service Integration and Information InteroperabilityInteroperability, which can be leveraged to

- establish a scalable mega-service for AEC virtual supply chain

- facilitate the virtual design and construction process

- enhance workflow efficiency, decision-making and cost saving.

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3CIFE TAC 2006

Overview

• Motivating Engineering/Business Problem• Point of Departure• Research Methods

– Service Integration– Information Interoperability

• Relationship to CIFE Goals• External Involvement• Research Schedule, Milestone and Risks• Potential Funding Sources

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4CIFE TAC 2006

Motivating Engineering/Business Problem

Owner

Subcontractors

GeneralContractor

Architect/ DesignConsultants

Suppliers

Current AEC Supply Chain

Courtesy: Hans Bjornsson

Motivating Problem Point of Departure Service Integration Interoperability CIFE Goals Plan, Risk, Funding

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Observations of Current AEC Supply Chain

• Fragmented AEC supply chain• Lack of information sharing• Scattered information sources• Various software and hardware platforms• Different goals and objectives of project

participants


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Consequences and Drawbacks

• Increased lead-time• Decreased corporation and system accountability and

transparency• Excess Ordering (Bullwhip Effect)• Reduced customer service level

Can it be improved?Can it be improved?


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7CIFE TAC 2006

Point of Departure (1/3) SCM Tools Not Designed for AEC Industry

Examples of Supply Chain Management (SCM) applications:• IBM• SeeCommerce• FreeMarkets• Oracle• SAP• Ariba• Manugistics• I2• Visual SourceSafe• ComponentSoftware RCS• SoftBench CM• Forte Code Management• Remedy Change Management

Manufacturing IndustryManufacturing Industry(large trading partners,stable supply chains)

AEC IndustryAEC Industry(scattered relatively small partners,

project-based temporary supply chains)


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8CIFE TAC 2006

Point of Departure (2/3)Interoperability Besides Product Description

STEP Application ProtocolsPart 201 Explicit DraftingPart 202 Associative DraftingPart 203 Configuration Controlled DesignPart 204 Mechanical Design Using Boundary RepresentationPart 205 Mechanical Design Using Surface RepresentationPart 206 Mechanical Design Using Wireframe RepresentationPart 207 Sheet Metal Dies and BlocksPart 208 Life Cycle Product Change ProcessPart 209 Design Through Analysis of Composite and Metallic

Structure Part 210 Electronic Printed Circuit Assembly, Design and

ManufacturingPart 211 Electronics Test Diagnostics and RemanufacturePart 212 Electrotechnical PlantsPart 213 Numerical Control Process Plans for Machined PartsPart 214 Core Data for Automotive Mechanical Design ProcessesPart 215 Ship ArrangementPart 216 Ship Molded FormsPart 217 Ship PipingPart 218 Ship StructuresPart 219 Dimensional Inspection Process Planning for CMMs

Data Exchange Standards (e.g. STEP, IFC) for Product Description Do Exist

How about Data Definition for Cost Estimation, Project Mgt, Supply Chain,

Product Lifecycle Mgt (PLM)?


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9CIFE TAC 2006

Point of Departure (3/3)Languages Not Engineering-Oriented

Examples of Services Description Languages:• SWSF (Semantic Web Services Framework): {language, ontology}• FLOWS (First-order Logic Ontology for Web Services)• ROWS (Rules Ontology for Web Services)• WSDL (Web Services Description Language)• BPEL4WS (Business Process Execution Language for Web

Services) • UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration)• OWL-S (OWL ontology for web services)• PSL (process specification language)• WSML (Web Services Modeling Ontology) (WSML – OWL, WSML)• BPSS (ebXML’s Business Process Specification Schema)• WSFL (Web Services Flow Language)• Wf-XML, XPDL, XLANG

Business Oriented

Not designed to support AEC applications

(from Design, Engineering, Constructionto Operational Activities)


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10CIFE TAC 2006

Research Methods

• Two basic work packages:– Service Integration Framework

Distributed engineering and web services

Composition / specification language– Information Interoperability

Knowledge-Driven Approach for Information Analysis

Semantic similarities and differences


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Example 1: Integrating Online Weather Service to Engineering Simulation

Online Weather Information

Information ofWeather Impact

ProcessWeatherImpact

Re-Schedulethe Project

Re-Simulatethe Project

NotifyParticipants

SchedulingInformation

(e.g., P3, MS Project,or Database)

Microsoft Excel

Autodesk ADT

<?xml version="1.0"?><WeatherReport><weather date="2003-9-23"><location><zipcode value="33410" /></location><conditions value=" Isolated thunderstorms early, mainly cloudy overnight with a few showers" /><temperature><templow c="23.3" f="74.0" /><temphigh c="32.2" f="90.0" /></temperature>……</weather>……


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12CIFE TAC 2006

Rescheduling and Re-simulating of Project

Original Schedule in Primavera P3 Updated Schedule in Primavera P3

Original Backlog Chart Simulated using Vite and Displayed in Excel

Updated Backlog Chart Simulated using Vite and Displayed in Excel


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Example 2: Integrating Online Catalog with CAD and Inventory Management

Architectural Design

Inventory Management

Automated Procurement

WebServices

Web Service Gateway

Deployed Suppliers Web Services

Further Simulation

ROQs Order &Invoice


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14CIFE TAC 2006

Interoperability with Online Resources

• Autodesk’s i-drop :• web page modified HTML file• enabled object XML package file


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15CIFE TAC 2006

Inventory Management and Procurement

Inventory Mgt & Cost Estimation

Availability Checking & Decision-making

Procurement

Web Service Gateway

Deployed Suppliers Web Services

Automated Workflow/ Supply Chain


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16CIFE TAC 2006

Integration of Engineering and Web Services

Benefits of mega-service:• Increased functionality of simulation system• Modularity in system development• Scalability in complex supply chain

Software Framework includes:• Mechanisms integrating distributed services• Languages specifying process scenario

Service 1

Service 2

Service 5

Service 3

Service 4

Service 1

Service 2

Service 5

Service 3

Service 4

Mega-Service


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17CIFE TAC 2006

Knowledge-Driven Approach for Information Analysis

Domains of Information Interoperability:• Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, …

Ontologies – Terminological basis for information exchange meaningful information exchange and sharing

Heterogeneous Representation of Ontologies:• Term Difference (Elevator vs. Lift)• View/Contextual Difference (Transportation vs. Equipment)• Schema Difference (BPEL vs. PSL vs. WSML vs. etc.)• Version Difference (IfcWorkTask – IFC 2.0 vs. IfcTask – IFC 2x)

Building a single, unifying model of concepts and definitions will never be practical [Source: Steve Ray (Division Chief, NIST Manufacturing Systems Integration Division) ]


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18CIFE TAC 2006

Mediation for Information Articulation

• Mediation semantic differences of formats• Metadata are defined and extracted

Source Domain 1:Owned and maintained by Organization A

Source Domain 2:Owned and maintained by Organization B

Result contains shared terms

Terms useful for linking rules

Mediation


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19CIFE TAC 2006

Schema Mapping

System

CPU Memory

Brand TypeSpeed Size Speed

(1,2

)

Hard_Drive

Type Size

PC

Storage

(2)

TV_Tuner

Item Price

Dell_PC

CPU Memory


TV_Tuner

Item Price

System

CPU Memory


Hard_Drive

Type Size

Gateway_PC

Storage

Schema (1)

Schema (2)

Integrated Schema(Metadata)

ONLY: Keyword / Term MatchingMotivating Problem Point of Departure Service Integration Interoperability CIFE Goals Plan, Risk, Funding

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20CIFE TAC 2006

Advanced Text and Data Mining Techniques (Content Analysis)

Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards 4.13.9 Door Hardware 4.13 Doors 4.13.1 General ... 4.13.9 Door Hardware Handles, pulls, latches, locks, and other operating devices on accessible doors shall have a shape that is easy to grasp with one hand and does not require tight grasping ...

... 4.13.12 Door Opening Force

British Standard 8300 12.5.4.2 Door Furniture 12.5.4 Doors 12.5.4.1 Clear Widths of Door Openings 12.5.4.2 Door Furniture Door handles on hinged and sliding doors in accessible bedrooms should be easy to grip and operate by a wheelchair user or ambulant disabled person ...

4.13 Doors 12.5.4 Doors

4.13.9Door Hardware

12.5.4.2Door Furniture

12.5.4.14.13.1

4.13.3

4.13.2

4.13.12

UFAS BS8300

parent

sibling

Regulation 1

Regulation 2

Relatedness AnalysisRelatedness Analysis

Discover Related Concepts among Heterogeneous Ontologies for

Interoperability?


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Relationship to CIFE Goals

• Engineering Modeling Methods:– Modeling of product, process and organization data for information

exchange and sharing

• Analysis Methods:– Establishment of mega-service framework to enhance scheduling,

resources allocation, cost estimation and procurement efficiency– Incorporation of online information into engineering simulation

• Business Metrics:– Support for information flow and global supply chain

• Strategic Management:– Integration of distributed information and services for decision-making

• Economic Impact Analysis:– Efficient interoperability leading to reduced inventory, improved

customer service and increased corporation transparency and accountability


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External Involvement

• Potential Interest from industry organizations and government agencies (e.g. ECPIP – Engineering and Construction Project Information Platform)

• Identified Collaborations:– Prof. Arto Kiviniemi (VTT Technical Research Center of Finland)– Prof. Hans Bjornsson (Chalmers, Sweden)– Dr. Kent Reed (NIST, IAI’s ifc & CIS/2 Interoperability project)– Dr. Mark Palmer (NIST, FIATECH’s AEX Interoperability project)– Dr. Ram Sriram (NIST Manufacturing Systems Integration

Division)


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23CIFE TAC 2006

Research Tasks, Schedule and Milestone

2006 2007

Autumn Quarter Winter Quarter Spring Quarter Summer Quarter

Define and develop methodologies for the mediation tools, and the service integration infrastructure

Implement and test the basic framework with a simple procurement supply chain application

Define and scope a series of case scenarios with increasing complexity

Demonstrate a set of case scenarios of modest scale and solicit feedback

Validation and calibration of the information system will be an ongoing activity


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Risks

• Establishment of a comprehensive information system infrastructure is a task beyond a 1- or 2-year seed research proposalPilot project can lead to fundamental understanding

• Wrapping existing software applications into autonomous services and integrating the tools can be challenging Collaborations with other researchers and their

organizations


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Potential Funding Sources

• Government funding opportunities: National Science Foundation, NIST, others

• NIST (as well as FIATECH):– “Information interoperability and supply chain management”Upcoming key initiativeSignificant funding and supports has been proposed

• Collaborated with and received funding from NIST in the pastPotential funding support is anticipated


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26CIFE TAC 2006

Documents

Interoperability and Supply Chain