BARBS: integrating simulation, optimization and knowledge-based techniques to identify and eliminate production bottlenecks

This article presents BARBS (Bottleneck Analysis Rule-Based System), a knowledge system developed to aid in identifying and alleviating bottlenecks in the manufacturing environment. BARBS is based on a methodology that combines simulation, response surface optimization, and expert analysis heuristics. Major issues covered in this article include the architecture of BARBS, a description of the knowledge modules, and a case study.