Multi-agent Quality Tracking and Control for Interenterprise Based on a Fractal

Abstract

To deal with the complicated quality tracking and control problem of interenterprise and meet the rapidly changing customer needs in networked manufacturing environment, combined with the similarity of multilayer organization structure and work flow among core enterprise and member enterprises, a multi-agent quality tracking and control model based on fractal for inter-enterprise is proposed. With the aid of fractal concept, the complicated quality tracking and control process of inter-enterprise could be decomposed into multiple quality tracking and control units which are also fractals. Each fractal consists of six function modules: fractal organizer, quality monitor, quality analyzer, quality controller and quality reporter. Using agent technology, each of these modules could autonomously cooperate and negotiate with others while processing its own jobs. By the interaction and negotiation activities of multiagent, quality tracking and control of inter-enterprise could be realized. The dynamic restructuring process (DRP) allows inter-enterprise quality tracking and control to be more efficient and effective by reconfiguring fractals. This research reduces the difficult of inter-enterprise quality tracking and control and lays foundation for the cooperative quality control of manufacturing process.