A Generic Approach to Model and Analyze Industrial Search Processes

Abstract : Search processes are omnipresent. In the field of industrial production they occur whenever material or information is needed. While searching is a fundamental activity within production processes, existing models and methods in the field of production management are not designed for modelling or analyzing industrial search processes. This paper presents a generic phase model that can be used to describe industrial search processes. Furthermore, an analysis method is proposed to determine and prioritize fields of action for the optimization of search processes.