Using Model-based Design for Solving Structural Synthesis Problems

Abstract

To reduce the complexity of the task of structural synthesis, it is divided into stages, during each of which the researcher, conducts (with the help of decision support systems) the synthesis and analysis of model systems for the given input requirements and restrictions. Structural optimization, in this context, is reduced to finding the extremum of a certain objective function, whose value is controlled by specified design parameters depending on the type of task. To demonstrate how the simulation model works, the functional synthesis of the structure of information enterprise management system is considered, where the functional elements are the automated business processes, and the structural elements — automation facilities. A test case is made, where typical processes of budgeting, marketing, purchasing and sales, production and human resources are described as the functional elements. The use of the developed model of functional synthesis is exemplified by the task of choosing software for the design of corporate information systems. On the basis of a series of experiments we have determined the set of possible solutions with the greatest value of the fitness function. It is established that the function value is affected by the number of redundant functions that contain selected structural elements.