Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop a prototype of agent‐based intelligent workflow system for product design collaboration in a distributed network environment.Design/methodology/approachThis research separates the collaborative workflow enactment mechanisms from the collaborative workflow building tools for flexible workflow management. Applying the XML/RDF (resource description framework) ontology schema, workflow logic is described in a standard representation. Lastly, a case study in collaborative system‐on‐chip (SoC) design is depicted to demonstrate the agent‐based workflow system for the design collaboration on the web.FindingsAgent technology can overcome the difficulty of interoperability in cross‐platform, distributed environment with standard RDF data schema. Control and update of workflow functions become flexible and versatile by simply modifying agent reasoning and behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsWhen business partners want to collaborate, how to integrate agents in different workflows becomes a critical issues.Practical implicationsAgent technology can facilitate design cooperation and teamwork communication in a collaborative, transparent product development environment.Originality/valueThis research establishes generalized flow logic RDF models and an agent‐based intelligent workflow management system, called AWfMS, based on the RDF schema of workflow definition. AWfMS minimizes barriers in the distributed design process and hence increases design cooperations among partners.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call