NIST Advanced Manufacturing Series 300-1 

Reference Architecture for Smart 

Manufacturing 

Part 1: Functional Models 

Edward Barkmeyer 

Evan K. Wallace 

This publication is available free of charge from: 

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AMS.300-1 
 

 

 

NIST Advanced Manufacturing Series 300-1 

Reference Architecture for Smart 

Manufacturing 

Part 1: Functional Models 

Edward Barkmeyer 

Evan K. Wallace 

 Systems Integration Division

Engineering Laboratory

This publication is available free of charge from: 

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AMS.300-1 

September 2016 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Penny Pritzker, Secretary 

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

Willie May, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference Architecture for Smart Manufacturing
 

Part 1: Functional Models
 

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Ed Barkmeyer, Evan Wallace, NIST 

Abstract 

This document is a part of the definition of a reference architecture for the integration of 

manufacturing software applications in the areas of fabrication and assembly of discrete electromechanical parts. This document captures, at a high level of abstraction, the engineering and 

operations functions involved in producing discrete products, and the general nature of 

information flows among them. The function elements provide a frame of reference for productand facility-specific functions in a production system, and thus for specifications for 

manufacturing software/hardware systems components. Assigning these narrower functions to 

components begets a systems architecture, for which the information flows described in this 

document identify the necessary interactions among the components. The information flow 

elements also provide a frame of reference for specifying the information involved in those 

interactions and in the corresponding component interfaces. In short, these models are part of a 

framework for specifying production systems’ architectures, and the related architectures for the 

software systems that support production systems engineering. 

Introduction 

This document is a part of the definition of a reference architecture for the integration of 

manufacturing software applications in the areas of fabrication and assembly of discrete electromechanical parts. The reference architecture is an element of the Smart Manufacturing Systems 

Design and Analysis program at NIST. The scope of the program, and therefore of the reference 

architecture, is limited to design engineering, manufacturing engineering, production systems 

engineering, and production activities. Other aspects of the manufacturing enterprise, such as 

product planning, distribution, and maintenance, are not within the scope of the program and are 

not included in the reference architecture. In general, the design concerns are limited to those 

that affect production systems engineering and production operations, which are the primary 

concerns of the NIST Smart Manufacturing projects. Related engineering and manufacturing 

business operations are addressed only to the extent that they affect these activities. 

Following the definitions in the Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications (SIMA) 

Background Study [1], we use the term reference architecture to mean: 

• identification of the functions required to accomplish a set of objectives in a given domain; 

• identification of types of systems (components) that perform, or support human agents in 

performing, the activities that implement those functions; and
 

• identification of the nature and content of the interfaces required among those systems. 

This document is intended to capture, at a high level of abstraction, the engineering and 

operations functions involved in producing discrete products, and the general nature of 

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information flows among them. The function elements provide a frame of reference for productand facility-specific functions in a production systems, and thus for specifications for 

manufacturing software/hardware systems components. Assigning these narrower functions to 

components begets a systems architecture, for which the information flows described in this 

document identify the necessary interactions among the components. The information flow 

elements also provide a frame of reference for specifying the information involved in those 

interactions and in the corresponding component interfaces. In short, these models are part of a 

framework for specifying production systems architectures, and the related architectures for the 

software systems that support production systems engineering. 

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Table of Contents 

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Introduction...................................................................................................................................... i
 

Overview of the Model ................................................................................................................... 1
 

1
 Activities............................................................................................................................. 4
 

A0: Realize Products........................................................................................ 7
 

A2: Engineer Manufacture of Product ............................................................ 10
 

A22: Define Production Processes................................................................... 13
 

A23: Design Production System....................................................................... 16
 

A232: Specify Instrumentation & Control Systems............................................. 19
 

A24: Develop Implementation Plan .................................................................. 21
 

A3: Provide Production Resources ................................................................ 24
 

A4: Produce Products .................................................................................... 26
 

A44: Perform Jobs ........................................................................................... 28
 

2 Information Flows............................................................................................................. 29
 

Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................... 39
 

References..................................................................................................................................... 40
 

Appendix A: Interpretation of IDEF0 Diagrams ......................................................................... 41
 

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Overview of the Model 

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The functional model presented here describes the principal technical activities involved in the 

engineering and production activities of a manufacturing enterprise engaged in the production of 

complex electro-mechanical products. The emphasis here is on production systems engineering 

functions, which result in the design of the actual production systems for a given product or 

family of products. The model is intentionally at a high level of abstraction. The details of any 

of these functions are very dependent on the nature of the products and the engineering practices 

of the particular organization, which vary significantly over corporations involved in the same 

general enterprise. 

The goal of the functional models is to identify the required activities and the information flows 

required to perform those activities efficiently and effectively. A secondary goal is to identify 

those functions which are supported by off-the-shelf software systems, which may be the readymade components of an actual production systems architecture. Taken together, these models 

represent the first step toward the goal of the NIST Smart Manufacturing Systems Design and 

Analysis program: to provide a framework for defining smart manufacturing systems 

architectures. 

The models describe the activities and information flows common to most organizations 

involved in the manufacture of electro-mechanical products. As a consequence, the models tend 

to be somewhat abstract in the specification of both functions and information flows. In some 

cases, a generic standard that supports many special cases of a common information flow exists 

or can be developed, and thus it conforms directly to the generic flow identified in the model. In 

other cases, the detailed information required to support one manufacturing domain differs 

significantly from the detailed information required to support another, and these distinctions 

will be further elaborated in other work. 

It is our belief that the activities modeled herein are fundamental to the enterprise of 

manufacturing. For more than a hundred years, the basic engineering activities involved in the 

design of electro-mechanical systems, and in the specification of the related manufacturing 

systems and processes, have hardly changed. The means of performing the activities, the 

knowledge needed and available, the degree of automation in them, and the technologies they 

specify and use, have all changed dramatically; but the nature of the engineering activities has 

changed very little. In the future, the way in which these functions are performed, by 

combinations of human and machine brains and brawn, will continue to change rapidly; but the 

functions performed will not. And consequently, the information that is needed to perform the 

functions will not change in concept, although it may change significantly in magnitude and in 

detail. Because the models in this paper represent what is done rather than how it is done, they 

represent the manufacturing enterprise “as is,” but also the manufacturing enterprise “to be.” 

The activity models were developed by NIST experts drawing extensively on previous work by 

CAM-I [2], SEMATECH [3], the ATHENA project within the 6th EU Framework Programme 

for Research and Technological Development [4], and ISO Technical Committee 184 

Automation systems and integration [5]. A starting point for this activity was a previous NIST 

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publication in this same area [6], which emphasized design engineering activities and process 

specification activities coupled to a simple model of production systems specification. The 

primary thrust of that work was how a manufacturing facility will be used to make the product. 

Because our project is about the design of smart manufacturing systems, this document 

concentrates on how the manufacturing facility is designed to make the product. 

Because our intention was to identify the functions and interfaces required of manufacturing 

software systems, the models were expanded only to a level of detail at which a modeled activity 

represents a specific kind of engineering or production function that might be supported by an 

individual software/hardware component. (Where possible, off-the-shelf software currently 

available was used as a guideline.) Unsurprisingly, many of the modeled activities are still 

primarily performed by human agents using, at most, general-purpose office automation 

software. 

The overall view maintained in these models is that of the engineering or production manager 

responsible for assigning the engineering or production tasks and ensuring that the results of one 

task are provided to another. In practice, that is multiple, separate individuals and more than one 

level of management. The levels of decomposition in the models are mostly for convenience in 

isolating areas of concern. While there is some correlation to domains of management 

responsibility, no relationship between the activity decompositions and the organization 

structures is intended. 

The primary domain of these models is the manufacture of assembled products and 

subassemblies. The viewpoint taken, however, is that modern assembly plants are flexible 

enough to deal with a variety of product variants. This may be accomplished by dynamic 

process adaptation, or configuration changes in rapidly reconfigurable components. 

Most important to the purpose of the models, however, is that the information requirements can 

be characterized. The models attempt to separate the information into cohesive sets and to 

identify the functions that are expected to produce an information set and the functions that are 

expected to use it. This characterization of information sets is important to defining the scope 

and content of component interfaces. (And it purposely avoids the common practice of modeling 

all the data produced by a given software package without regard to the needs of the users.) 

Not all instances of a modeled activity will use all of the information sets modeled as provided to 

it, and some may not produce all of the modeled outputs. Many information sets will have very 

different detailed content in different product and facility applications. These issues are 

important in the development of specific information models and interface specifications. The 

characterizations of information flows given in this document attempt to identify areas of wide 

variation. 

The models were documented using the formal methods and diagrammatic techniques defined by 

IDEF0 [7], with some unusual conventions. The diagram conventions are summarized in 

Appendix A. 

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This document consists of two sections. Section 1 consists of the IDEF0 diagrams of the 

activities, and text descriptions of the activities identified in the diagrams. Section 2 provides 

descriptions of the information flows appearing in the IDEF0 diagrams in section 1. 

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1 Activities 

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This section contains detailed descriptions of the product realization activities in the form of 

IDEF0 diagrams and accompanying text. The information flows appearing in the diagrams are 

described in section 2. 

The complete node tree for the Smart Manufacturing activity model is as follows: 

A0: Realize Products 

A1: Design Product 

(not expanded) 

A2:	 Engineer Manufacture of Product
 

A21: Define Engineering Problem
 

A22: Define Production Processes
 

A221: Specify Process Requirements
 

A222: Specify Materials Requirements
 

A223: Specify Process & Material Flows
 

A224: Specify Process Details
 

A225: Estimate Production Cost
 

A23: Design Production Systems
 

A231: Specify Production Equipment
 

A232: Specify Instrumentation & Control Systems
 

A2321: Identify Control Requirements 

A2322: Identify Instrumentation Requirements 

A2323: Identify Communications Requirements 

A2324: Integrate System Specifications 

A233: Specify Support Systems
 

A234: Develop Facility Layout
 

A235: Integrate and Test System Designs
 

A24:	 Develop Implementation Plan
 

A241: Identify & Evaluate Supply Sources
 

A242: Decide Make/Buy for Parts
 

A243: Develop Facilities Plan
 

A244: Develop Manufacturing Plans
 

A3:	 Provide Production Resources
 

A31: Develop Capacity Plans
 

A32: Create Supply Sources
 

A33: Acquire Major Resources
 

A34: Manage Plant Resources
 

A4:	 Produce Products
 

A41: Plan Production
 

A42: Manage Materials
 

A43: Schedule Jobs
 

A44: Perform Jobs
 

A441: Direct Personnel and Machines
 

A442: Control and Monitor Jobs
 

A443: Coordinate Equipment Groups
 

A444: Control Equipment
 

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Market data 

Product orders 

Tooling & materials 

Product 

Library 

A0 

Realize Product 

Process 

models 

Resource 

descriptions 

Production 

models 

Patents & design 

constraints 

Manufacturing 

calendar 

Time & 

cost data 

Component 

catalogs 

Products 

Interface 

standards 

Tooling & materials orders 

Production cost estimate 

NODE: A-0 TITLE: Functional Product Realization Model NO.: 1 

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A0: Realize Products 

This activity represents all principal, technical activities involved in the manufacture of products, 

including product design activities, manufacturing engineering activities, production planning 

and engineering activities, and production activities. It also touches on a number of technical, 

management activities. 

The inputs modeled for this activity are seen as originating from other activities of the 

manufacturing enterprise, or possibly from sources external to that enterprise. The outputs 

modeled for this activity are those intended more or less exclusively for other activities of the 

enterprise. Many of the information units produced in the manufacturing activities for 

consumption by other manufacturing activities, however, may also be of interest to other aspects 

of the enterprise. 

A1: Design Product 

Identify and conceptualize a marketable product, and create the complete description of it. 

(This function is not expanded in this document.) 

A2: Engineer Manufacture of Product 

This activity includes some or all of the following, according to the nature of the product and the 

available facilities. 

•	 Define the set of materials, processes, and resources that is needed to produce a certain 

volume of a given product or product line 

•	 Define the routing of the product workpieces through a sequence of processing 

equipment stations, together with appropriate operator and machine instructions for each 

station 

•	 Define the setup or configuration of processing equipment stations that enables such a 

routing to produce the desired parts 

•	 Specify the reconfiguration of a part of a plant that will enable the production of the 

desired parts, by reorganization, reconfiguration, and replacement of processing stations 

and materials flow systems. 

•	 Specify the development of a new plant, or a “from the walls” reconstruction of an 

existing facility to enable the production of a target product or product line. 

Define the process of making the product, including the elementary stock materials and 

components to be acquired, the equipment, tooling, and skills to be used and the details of that 

usage. Details include the exact sequence of setups and operations to be performed, and the 

complete instructions for each operation, whether by human or automated resources. By 

extension, the process of making the product includes measurement and inspection activities 

performed during production for process control and quality assurance. (Expanded on page 15.) 

Design new or modified production facilities for the manufacture of a particular collection of 

Parts. A facility may be a plant, a shop, a line, a manufacturing cell, or a group of manufacturing 

cells. This activity encompasses both design-from-the-walls of such a facility and reengineering 

of all or part of such a facility to improve the production of certain products. It includes 

identification of the parts, products, and processes for which the production system is to be 

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tailored, identification of the equipment to be installed or replaced, (re)design of the floor layout,
 

and development of an implementation plan for the (re)designed production system.
 

(Expanded, on page 10.)
 

A3: Provide Production Resources 

Using customer orders and projected demand for the products of the facility, specify the required 

resource levels for the facility, create the corresponding resources – plant, equipment, and 

workforce -- and, maintain the required resource levels. Acquire and maintain equipment. 

Maintain workforce levels and skills. Provide and maintain physical plant, grounds, and utilities. 

Monitor resource utilization and cost. Create and maintain contractual relationships with suppliers 

that will provide the required volumes of parts, tooling, and services. Manage the 

implementation of major facility redevelopment plans, and oversee commissioning of new and 

reengineered facilities. 

(Expanded, on page 24.) 

A4: Produce Products 

Produce the parts and products according to the specifications in the corresponding 

Manufacturing Data Packages. This involves defining the production schedules and controlling 

the flow of materials into and out of the production facility, scheduling, controlling and executing 

the production processes themselves, assigning human and machine resources to production 

activities, managing tooling and materials, tracking work-in-progress, job/lot completion, 

resource utilization, and product yield. 

(Expanded on page 26.) 

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A2: Engineer Manufacture of Product 

This activity includes some or all of the following, according to the nature of the product and the 

available facilities. 

• Define the set of materials, processes, and resources that is needed to produce a certain volume of a 

given product or product line 

• Define the routing of the product workpieces through a sequence of processing equipment stations, 

together with appropriate operator and machine instructions for each station 

• Define the setup or configuration of processing equipment stations that enables such a routing to 

produce the desired parts 

• Specify the reconfiguration of a part of a plant that will enable the production of the desired parts, 

by reorganization, reconfiguration, and replacement of processing stations and materials flow 

systems. 

• Specify the development of a new plant, or a “from the walls” reconstruction of an existing facility 

to enable the production of a target product or product line. 

This activity assumes the existence of a product model and related information produced by the 

Design activities, and includes activities which feed back to Design manufacturing consequences 

that may result in changes to the product model. 

For engineering purposes, every product is decomposed into a collection of component Parts, 

each of which is either a fabricated (piece) part or an assembly, and no Part is both. The 

manufacturing engineering process is performed on each Part or “part family” separately. (A 

part family is a set of slightly different designs that can be produced by the same sequence of 

processes with minor differences in material or process controls.) The manufacturing operations 

to be planned for any given Part are either fabrication processes or assembly processes, but not 

both. Any Part, however, may be subjected to inspection and finishing processes. The final 

product is itself a Part — it may be a single fabricated part or a final assembly. Thus this activity 

decomposes into many similar activities, each of which is “engineer manufacture of one Part”. 

The results of this activity are the drivers for the production planning and production activities 

for each Part, and for the product as the final Part. The results of this activity may be used 

directly to make the Part using existing resources. It may also be used in reengineering the 

production facility itself, in order to make possible or improve the production of this product 

along with others. Production difficulties or plant resource changes may lead to feedback into 

this activity requesting changes in the process specifications. 

A21: Define Engineering Problem 

Delimit the production engineering problem to be solved. Determine which of the possible 

engineering activities identified above are within the scope of the task. Identify the product, 

product line, or part mix for which the processes and facilities are to be specified. Define the 

work elements to be undertaken and the constraints on the process and facility design. For a 

complex product/part mix, this activity may produce a hierarchy of production engineering 

problem definitions for which all of the Production Engineering activities are separately or jointly 

performed. (Not further expanded.) 

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A22: Define Production Processes 

Define the process of making the product, including the base materials and components to be 

acquired, the equipment, tooling, and skills to be used and the details of that usage. Details 

include the exact sequence of setups and operations to be performed, and the complete 

instructions for each operation, whether by human or automated resources. 

(Expanded, on page 13.) 

A23: Design Production Systems 

Design new or modified production facilities for the manufacture of a particular collection of 

Parts, including the major processing equipment, material storage and delivery systems, 

instrumentation systems, control systems, and support systems. As appropriate, specify additional 

tooling, fixtures, and preparation stations. Where necessary, specify additional physical plant 

facilities, networks and information systems. 

A production system may be a plant, a shop, a line, or some element(s) of a shop or line. This 

activity encompasses both design-from-the-walls of such a facility and reengineering of all or part 

of such a facility to improve the production of certain products. 

For a complex product/part mix, this activity may produce a hierarchy of production engineering 

problem definitions for which all of the A2 activities are separately or jointly performed. 

(Expanded on page 16.) 

A24: Develop Implementation Plan 

When a satisfactory manufacturing process sequence has been identified, and corresponding 

facility additions and modifications, if any, have been identified, then the “make” cost basis for
 

make/buy decisions is available. For parts and subsystems that may be externally supplied,
 

develop the comparable “buy” estimates of cost and lead time, and decide make/buy subsystem
 

by subsystem. In general, this process will interact with the Process and System Design activities,
 

as the manufacturing engineering activities move down the assembly tree.
 

Create detailed plans and budgets for performing any required major facilities modifications. For
 

those “make” activities that require lesser configuration changes, determine sources and lead
 

times for tooling and fixtures, and plan the reconfiguration activities. For those parts/subsystems
 

to be bought, identify suppliers, lead times, and required inventories.
 

Construct the overall plan for the product as a combination of “make” and “buy” for components,
 

facilities construction and reconfiguration. Determine a target manufacturing start date and a 

schedule for prior events. Provide the related budgets and cost estimates.
 

(Expanded, on page 21.)
 

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A22: Define Production Processes 

Define the process of making the product, including the base materials and components to be 

acquired, the equipment, tooling, and skills to be used and the details of that usage. Details 

include the exact sequence of setups and operations to be performed, and the complete 

instructions for each operation, whether by human or automated resources. 

A221: Specify Process Requirements 

Define the major processes involved in making the product (family). Identify those processes 

that are common to multiple products in the mix and those which are unique to particular Parts. 

Identify those processes already supported in the target facility. (Using, expanding, or replicating 

those processes is usually less expensive.) Identify the types and capabilities of equipment to be 

used. Identify requirements for special operator skills and certifications. 

A222: Specify Materials Requirements 

Identify materials and component parts to be used in making the product. This includes both 

materials that become part of the product itself and materials that are consumed in the processing 

activities. 

A223: Specify Process and Material Flows 

Define the sequencing of the selected processes. Develop a detailed process flow specification for 

the target Part mix. Identify flows common to multiple Parts and estimate volumes of those 

flows. Identify unique flows for particular Parts, including departures from and returns to the 

mainstream, and estimate flow volumes. The flow specifications take into account available 

resources, time, cost, and other manufacturing constraints. 

From the process flow specifications, develop a materials flow diagram, that outlines how inprocess materials are moved through manufacturing and assembly. Also specify flows of 

additional materials and components into the processes. Using the flow diagrams and the 

estimated volumes, identify the requirements for materials storage, buffering, transportation, 

packaging, and handling in the production system, and the related materials handling, 

transportation, and storage equipment. 

A224: Specify Process Details 

For each station in the process flow, define and document exactly what steps must be taken by the 

machines and by the human operators and specialists, in order to accomplish the process assigned 

to that station. This includes operation sheets, assembly instructions, numerical control programs, 

and robot programs. These specifications will be used in production on the factory floor. 

Complete specifications for the required tooling, including cutting tools, molds, dies, fixtures, 

end-effectors, probes, and sensors. This includes design and/or assembly specifications for the 

tool or fixture, and may include special instructions for use and estimated in-service life. These 

specifications will be used directly to acquire tooling and fixtures for service on the factory floor. 

If necessary, specify materials preparation details, kit construction, and special handling 

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operations. 

This process is performed only when agreement on the major processes, resources, and flows is 

reached. Testing the detailed specifications may require use of production facilities and therefore 

must be scheduled into several production activities, such as machine use, tooling preparation, 

and materials management. 

A225: Estimate Production Cost 

Given the process requirements at an appropriate level of detail and the materials to be used, 

estimate the production cost per unit of product in terms of the time of the committed resources, 

and the cost of materials, and imposed plant overheads. 

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A23: Design Production System 

Design new or modified production facilities for the manufacture of a particular collection of 

Parts, including the major processing equipment, material storage and delivery systems, 

instrumentation systems, control systems, and support systems. As appropriate, specify 

additional tooling, fixtures, and preparation stations. Where necessary, specify additional 

physical plant facilities, networks, and information systems 

A production system may be a plant, a shop, a line, or some element(s) of a shop or line. This 

activity encompasses both design-from-the-walls of such a facility and reengineering of all or 

part of such a facility to improve the production of certain products. 

For a complex product/part mix, this activity may produce a hierarchy of production engineering 

problem definitions for which all of the A2 activities are separately or jointly performed. 

A231: Specify Production Equipment 

Using the process specifications for the selected product(s), specify the major equipment 

(processing, inspection, and material handling equipment) that is to make up the resulting facility. 

Identify the existing equipment in the plant or area and any other equipment available for use, and 

determine those to be used and/or modified. From catalogs and other sources, identify new 

equipment to be installed (make, model, quantity, configurations). Specify required 

reconfigurations of existing equipment. 

This activity may also include recommending changes to the processes selected in order to reduce 

the cost or improve utilization of equipment. For some project types, this activity may be reduced 

to identifying the equipment available and reconfiguring it to balance the utilization among the 

parts in the Part mix. 

A232: Specify Instrumentation & Control Systems 

Specify configurations of controllers for automated and semi-automated manufacturing systems 

and material handling systems. Specify the data acquisition instruments that are necessary for 

maintaining process continuity and product quality. Specify supporting communications 

requirements. 

(Expanded, on page 19.) 

A233: Specify Support Systems 

Using the process and materials specifications, identify requirements for supporting systems, 

including safety systems, tooling and materials management systems, information systems, and 

plant utilities. 

Specify materials storage systems, parts delivery areas, tool cribs, tool and kit building stations, 

materials preparation stations, and others as needed. Specify requirements for part/product 

packaging and shipping stations. In some cases, specify scrap, rework, and materials recovery 

facilities. 

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Where needed, define the requirements for higher-level information systems for the facility. 

Such systems support the information requirements for the process controllers, the materials 

handling control systems, and other support systems. They may also capture process data and 

part quality data for later analysis, and provide interfaces to external systems in the enterprise. 

Specify the physical computer and communications resources, including the plant network, if 

any. The design takes into account available hardware and software systems, existing 

communications equipment and media, and required practices. 

Specify power requirements, heating/air-conditioning requirements, and other plant operating 

requirements. (Depending on the project type, this activity may involve specifying building 

architecture and/or power systems and heating/air-conditioning systems and layout instead of 

requirements.) 

A234: Develop Facility Layout 

Using the process and materials flow specifications for the selected Part mix, and the equipment 

selections, define an optimal layout for the equipment to maximize performance and/or quality 

over the Part mix. Specify workstation configurations. Identify and configure the necessary 

material handling and transport equipment. Locate instrumentation and control systems. Identify 

cabling paths and shielding requirements; identify equipment paths, walkways, hazards and 

maintenance accesses. Design the floor plan for all of the above, including storage areas and 

pathways for human and material movement. This may result in recommendations for changes in 

the equipment selections to improve interactions or for changes in the flow plan to improve 

performance. 

A235: Integrate & Test System Designs 

Combine the physical systems plant layout and the information system plant layout. After 

reviewing the space requirements and flow of materials and information, changes may be 

requested to either design. 

Using both simulation and actual performance measurements, analyze the dynamics of the 

proposed system. Test the facility design against the expected production demand for the 

selected part mix. Identify quality concerns, performance bottlenecks, etc. and feedback results 

to the process specification and production system design activities. 

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A232: Specify Instrumentation & Control Systems 

Specify configurations of controllers for automated and semi-automated manufacturing systems 

and material handling systems. Specify the data acquisition instruments that are necessary for 

maintaining process continuity and product quality. Specify supporting communications 

requirements. 

A2321: Identify Control Requirements 

For the given processing equipment, material handling, and other support systems, specify the 

requirements for equipment controllers and station/group/line control systems. Specify required 

capabilities of controllers in terms of features, interfaces, supported languages and data forms, 

process simulation capabilities, among others. 

A2322: Identify Instrumentation Requirements 

For the given processes, physical routings, and quality control requirements, specify required 

instrumentation and logical or physical placement of measurement devices. Specify required 

instrument configurations and interface capabilities. Identify data rates and communications 

requirements. 

A2323: Identify Communications Requirements 

For the given controllers, instrumentation systems, and supporting information systems, design 

the communications system, including the physical network, the physical and logical connections 

for all systems and appliances. Specify the software interfaces to be used for the logical 

communications between systems. 

A2324: Integrate System Specifications 

Design the integrated instrumentation and control network(s) for the production system. Specify 

links between instrumentation and control systems, and among instrumentation, control, and 

safety systems. Specify links between factory floor systems and supporting information systems. 

Simulate and test the communications system for the production facility, and revise component 

specifications as needed. 

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A24: Develop Implementation Plan 

When a satisfactory manufacturing process sequence has been identified, and corresponding 

facility additions and modifications, if any, have been identified, the “make” cost basis for 

make/buy decisions is available. For parts and subsystems that may be externally supplied, 

develop the comparable “buy” estimates of cost and lead time, and decide make/buy subsystem 

by subsystem. 

In general, this process will interact with the Process and System Design activities, as the 

manufacturing engineering activities move down the assembly tree. 

Create detailed plans and budgets for performing any required, major, facility modifications. For 

those “make” activities that require lesser configuration changes, determine sources and lead 

times for tooling and fixtures, and plan the reconfiguration activities. For those parts/subsystems 

to be bought, identify suppliers, lead times, and required inventories. 

Construct the overall plan for the product as a combination of “make” and “buy” components, 

facilities construction, and reconfiguration. Determine a target manufacturing start date and a 

schedule for prior events. Provide the related budgets and cost estimates. 

A241: Identify and Evaluate Supply Sources 

For parts and subsystems that may be externally supplied, identify potential suppliers. Determine 

ability of suppliers to meet predicted order volumes. Identify part cost and lead times. Evaluate 

potential suppliers according to organization-specific evaluation criteria, which may include 

supplier viability, software systems compatibility, and other factors. Based on these evaluations, 

develop the “buy” cost estimates for each part. 

Similarly, for required tooling and fixtures that are not currently available, identify supply 

sources. 

A242: Decide Make/Buy for Parts 

Based on supplied part-cost estimates, and production cost estimates for making the parts, make 

the make/buy decision for each part. This decision causes a split in the further functions for 

providing each part. 

Also, decide make/buy for additional tooling, fixtures, and carriers that are required for the 

product manufacture. 

A243: Develop Facilities Plan 

For those parts/subsystems that are to be made, if major facility construction or modification is 

necessary, create the detailed plans, develop budgets for the components of the plan, and final 

cost estimates for the reengineered facility. 

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A244: Develop Manufacturing Plan 

Complete the overall plan for the product, including the facilities reengineering plan and/or minor 

changes to station or line configurations for the set of parts to be made and for the final product. 

Given supplier lead times for parts, tooling, and materials, estimate required inventory sizes and 

order volumes. Provide a target schedule for manufacturing start. Refine production cost 

estimates, and create a budget for startup activities. 

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A3: Provide Production Resources 

Using customer orders and projected demand for the products of the facility, specify the required 

resource levels for the facility, create the corresponding resources – plant, equipment, and 

workforce – and, maintain the required resource levels. Acquire and maintain equipment. 

Maintain workforce levels and skills. Provide and maintain physical plant, grounds, and utilities. 

Monitor resource utilization and cost. Create and maintain contractual relationships with suppliers 

that will provide the required volumes of parts, tooling, and services. Manage the 

implementation of major facility redevelopment plans, and oversee commissioning of new and 

reengineered facilities. 

A31: Develop Capacity Plans 

Using market projections, customer order experience, and, the production resource requirements 

for the products from their manufacturing plans, determine the manufacturing resource levels that 

will be required in order to meet the overall expected demand on the factory. This includes 

workforce personnel and skills, equipment and tooling, and plant utilities. As customer order 

experience is acquired and actual production schedules appear, the actual used and unused 

capacity, and the actual product yields, are monitored and used to update the long-term 

projections. 

A32: Create Supply Sources 

Using market projections for planned products, estimate order volumes for component parts, 

materials, and other production materials and tooling. From the identified potential suppliers and 

experience with them, develop preferred supplier lists. Create supply contracts covering the 

projected volumes for some period of time. 

A33: Acquire Major Resources 

According to the identified capacity requirements, maintain the projected workforce levels and 

operating shifts. Manage activation and mothballing of major plant lines and stations. Create 

equipment and plant maintenance contracts as needed. 

In those cases where major facility modifications are needed, acquire the major equipment items, 

and implement the facility development plans. (In most cases, this activity is contracted to a plant 

construction firm.) Schedule and oversee commissioning of the new or reengineered facility. 

A34: Manage Plant Resources 

Allocate workforce personnel, monitor work hours and assignments, and, maintain workforce 

skills and certifications. Maintain major and minor equipment items per schedules and as needed. 

Maintain plant services and utilities. Monitor health and safety systems and performance data. 

Track workforce and equipment utilization. Identify problems that have longer-term impacts on 

production capacity, manage furloughs, and provide downtime estimates. 

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A4: Produce Products 

Produce the parts and products according to the specifications in the corresponding Manufacturing Data Packages. This involves defining the 

production schedules and controlling the flow of materials into and out of the production facility, scheduling, controlling and executing the 

production processes themselves, assigning human and machine resources to production activities, managing tooling and materials, tracking work-inprogress, job/lot completion, resource utilization, and product yield. 

A41: Plan Production 

Using customer orders and projected demand for the products of the facility, define the Master Production Schedule -- the expected product output of the 

facility over a fairly long term. Create and coordinate the production orders for the Parts that make up the products, and any related tooling and materials. 

This includes those orders which are jobs to be performed in the facility and those which are sent to external suppliers. Monitor completion of production 

orders and part/product output volumes. 

This activity is sometimes called Materials Requirements Planning (or MRP I). 

A42: Manage Materials 

Manage materials, tools, fixtures, and part inventories. Track orders, receipt, assignment, location, and use of tooling and materials. Test and inspect 

incoming materials. Prepare tooling and fixture assemblies according to specification. Prepare parts and materials in the proper quantities and 

combinations for jobs/lots. Prepare tooling and materials kits. Decommission used tooling. Recapture and process reusable and recyclable materials. 

A43: Schedule Jobs 

Decompose production orders into manageable lots and jobs for the factory floor. Schedule job/lot preparations and starts. For facilities in which dynamic 

routing of work-in-process (“product”) to manufacturing stations is the norm, define the assignment and schedule for each job/lot to each station. Monitor 

job/lot progress and completion. Monitor rework and other processing exceptions. Monitor yield, and create additional lots when needed. 

A44: Perform Jobs 

Implement the production schedule. Assign qualified personnel to stations as required by scheduled activities. Identify human and equipment resource 

shortages and specify overtime requirements required to meet production schedules. Monitor performance of personnel and equipment, diagnose 

problems, and take corrective actions. Determine equipment status and failures. 

Produce the parts and products according to the detailed specifications in the Manufacturing Data Package. Execute the fabrication, assembly and 

inspection operations, and/or control the equipment that performs them. Control and monitor the parameters of the processes. Capture and store product 

measurements and process measurements. Monitor the time-on-task and time-in-service for equipment and tooling. Identify problems and anomalous 

behavior. 

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A44: Perform Jobs 

Implement the job schedule: start lots, perform the fabrication, assembly and inspection 

operations, move product-in-work, track lot and workpiece status on the floor. 

The details of this activity vary significantly from one production domain to another. What is 

described here is a generic model of production control activities, not the specific production 

activities controlled. 

A441: Direct Personnel and Machines 

Assign personnel to workstations, monitor performance of personnel and equipment, and identify 

problems. Provide expertise in problem diagnosis and take corrective actions. Determine 

equipment status and failures. Report unplanned resource outages (workforce shortage, 

equipment downtime, inventory shortages), and develop interim plans to minimize impact on 

production schedules. 

A442: Control and Monitor Jobs 

Implement the production schedule. Direct job/lot starts. Direct routing of lots to processing and 

inspection stations. Direct flows of materials and tooling onto the factory floor. Track lots and 

workpiece status and monitor job status against schedule. Make dynamic adjustments to 

schedules and priorities. 

A443: Coordinate Equipment Groups 

Assign tasks to subsystems involving independently controlled machines or human resources. 

Coordinate the actions of human and automated subsystems in the performance of a process or 

subordinate task. Coordinate the physical and temporal interactions of equipment systems (both 

human and automated) performing different tasks within a work area/volume. 

A444: Control Equipment 

Per the detailed process specifications in the Manufacturing Data Package for the product, 

execute the fabrication, assembly and inspection operations and/or control the equipment that 

performs them. Control and monitor the parameters of the process. Monitor the time on task and 

time in service for equipment and tooling. Identify problems and anomalous behavior. 

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2 Information Flows 

This section contains the descriptions of all the information flows — inputs, outputs, controls, 

and resources — appearing in the IDEF0 diagrams in section 1. It also includes the physical 

objects represented as flows in bold face with underscores in the diagrams. Each flow name 

below is followed by a parenthesized list of numbers of the diagrams where the flow appears. 

The flow descriptions appear here in alphabetical order. 

Since IDEF0 does not distinguish between “subset” and “subtype” notions for information 

groups, we adopt the convention that a label appearing on an arrow to/from an “external” 

information object represents a subset, i.e., a part of the more inclusive information set 

represented by the common arrow. In this section, the notations: 

X (Y) indicates that information type X is part of the more inclusive information type Y. By 

implication, the representation of type Y must include a means for representing information of 

type X. 

X (underscored) indicates that X represents physical objects, not information objects. 

Capacity adjustments (diagram 8) 

Updated estimates of resource utilization and availability, based on the resource schedule, current workin-process, pending jobs, and actual facility performance. 

Capacity plans (diagrams 2, 8, & 9) 

Nominal aggregate quantities of human and machine resources that are to be made available and 

committed to projected production operations during specific planning periods. 

Component catalogs (diagrams 1, 2, & 4) 

Information about parts and components that can be ordered from other firms and divisions, including 

engineering specifications, cost, and lead times for orders. 

Control system requirements (diagram 6) 

Specification of the control systems required for automated equipment, including both processing 

equipment and material handling equipment. Requirements include control capabilities, survivability, 

support for specific standards, and software. Specifications include identification of make and model of 

controller, configurations, features, processing options, and communication options. 

Design BOM (diagrams 2, 3, & 4) 

The Bill of Materials for a product, as identified by the product design team. This Bill of Materials calls out 

the parts needed to make up an assembly, or for a fabricated part, including a compound or alloy or a 

family of compounds or alloys. Alternatively, it may include “product data sheets” providing required part 

characteristics for selection from a number of supplier catalogs. The relationship to the Final Bill of 

Materials in the Manufacturing Data Package is very much dependent on the manufacturing engineering 

process, which will select specific parts and materials from specific supply sources that may or may not 

be exactly what was requested in the Design BOM. 

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Engineering problem definition (diagrams 3, 4, 5, & 7) 

The specification of the production systems engineering problem, beginning with the type of the 

engineering activity, one of: 

• Process specification: Define the set of processes, resources, and materials that is needed to 

produce a certain volume of a given product or product line, possibly limited to existing facilities 

• Micro-planning: Define the routing of the product workpieces through a sequence of processing 

equipment stations, together with the configuration of processing equipment stations that enables 

such a routing to produce the desired parts, and appropriate operator and machine instructions for 

each station 

• Re-design: Specify the reconfiguration of a part of a plant that will enable the production of the 

desired parts, by reorganization, reconfiguration, and replacement of processing stations and 

materials flow systems. 

• Plant design: Specify the development of a new plant, or a “from the walls” reconstruction of an 

existing facility to enable the production of a target product or product line. 

The specification includes the scope of the design, the product mix, and the production requirements in 

terms of part and product volumes, and quality considerations. For design activities, it also includes the 

physical plant or area to be used, and the time available for design, acquisition, and construction. It may 

also include identification of other products and facilities from which design ideas and performance 

expectations can be drawn. 

Equipment specifications (diagrams 5 & 6) 

Specifications for the kind and quantity of processing machines, equipment, and facilities. Equipment 

may be specified as make, model and configuration, or by its required capabilities. In the latter case, the 

requirements are derived from its role in the process of making instances of the product family, and the 

characteristics of the product-in-work in that phase of the processing. 

Equipment state (diagram 10) 

Report of current state of a major equipment item or station. This includes both scheduled and 

unexpected changes of state, such as equipment problem reports. State information could include 

resource currently up and busy on job x, machine x currently down for pre-planned maintenance, or 

machine x currently down for remedial maintenance, and employee x out on sick leave. 

Facilities plan (diagram 7) 

The detailed plan for creating or revamping the manufacturing facility for some mix or family of products. 

This includes equipment acquisitions, staffing, installation schedules, and budgets for the components of 

the plan. 

Facility cost estimate (diagrams 3 & 7) 

Estimates of the total cost of (re)building the facility according to the plan, including plant, utilities, 

equipment and tooling, installation, training, etc. 

Facility design (diagrams 2, 3, 5, 7, & 8) 

A description of the manufacturing facility to be built, including processing equipment, handling 

equipment, controllers, information systems and networks, storage spaces and systems, floor plans, 

utilities and utility routings, and, transport systems and routings. This includes both drawings and 

functional specifications, that is, models of the facility from various points of view. 

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Facility test results & issues (diagrams 5 & 6) 

Results of modeling and test of the Facility design, interpreted as issues for the various production 

systems design activities. 

Final Bill of Materials (Manufacturing Data Package) (diagram 9) 

The complete Bill of Materials for the Part/Product in exploded form, with quantities of all materials 

needed for some lot size of the Part. This may include any special materials that will be consumed in the 

process of making the Part lot. Examples include temporary fasteners, spacers, lubricants, coolants, 

adhesives, etc., depending on how the lot is “kitted” when it is started. (Alternatively, consumables may 

be included in some aggregate form as part of operating requirements (or tooling) for processing 

stations.) 

Flow details (Manufacturing Data Package) (diagram 4) 

The specification for the sequence of processes for a product lot, and the flow of the product-in-work from 

process to process. This, includes any special requirements for handling the product through the 

transition. This is sometimes called the “routing”. For variants of a product, this can include alternative 

routings that bypass processes or route the lot to variant-specific processes. For components and 

materials added to a product-in-work, this specification also identifies the point at which these additional 

materials enter the process, and any associated handling requirements for them. 

Handling capabilities (Required capabilities) (diagram 4) 

Required capabilities for holding, mounting, moving, and positioning materials, components, and product 

lots in work. Important concerns are loads, volumes, shapes, and resistance to specific torques that will 

be applied during processes. 

Requirements for materials storage, buffering, transportation, packaging, and handling in the production 

system. This includes requirements for material handling equipment, kits and special carriers, transport 

systems, and, possibly, requirements for safe handling, storage and buffering of hazardous materials. 

Implementation plan (diagrams 2, 3, 7, & 8) 

The overall plan for producing the product. It includes facility construction and modifications, if any, and 

selections of equipment, or types of equipment. It also includes equipment configurations for 

implementing the production processes, together with required operations personnel, skills, and 

certifications. It specifies parts to be supplied externally, with candidate suppliers and part volumes, and 

parts to be made in-house together with their implementation plans. 

Information & communications specifications (Support systems specifications) 

(diagrams 5 & 6) 

Specifications for interface to the plant information and communications systems, as appropriate to 

control and instrumentation systems on the factory floor. This is the means for transmitting control 

programs and parameters, lot setups and routings, and similar information from the planning and 

scheduling systems to the control systems. It may also be the means of recording process and lot “run” 

data and equipment performance data. It may also be the means by which equipment and 

instrumentation on the floor communicates active status to unspecified observers and analytical 

processes. 

Instrument & control specifications (diagrams 5 & 6) 

The complete package of specifications for control and instrumentation systems in the new or revised 

facility. It includes identification of make and model of controller and instrument data centers, 

configurations, features, processing options, and communication options. Similarly, it includes make and 

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model of instruments and sensors, connections to data centers, control systems, or plant information 

systems, physical mounting on machines or stations, or logical or physical placement on the process line. 

Instrumentation requirements (diagram 6) 

Requirements for acquiring data – measurements and state determinations – about the product-in-work, 

which is used to activate machines or processes, modify control parameters, route items, measure 

quality, and measure performance. Some of these requirements may be met by equipment that is a 

(possibly optional) feature of a controller or machine. Most are met by instruments whose sole purpose is 

to make and communicate such measurements. These requirements are often stated in terms of the 

characteristics of such instruments and their placement in the process sequence. This may include bar 

code and RFID readers, motion and intrusion detectors, dimensional measuring devices, thermal 

measurement devices, pressure sensors, and so on. 

Interface requirements (diagram 6) 

Specifications for required interactions among control systems, instrumentation systems, and facility 

information systems, and for the communications that enable those interactions. The standard form is a 

“layer cake” of interface specifications, with physical connection and signaling at the bottom, some 

software/hardware mechanisms that ensure reliable transmissions of data above it, and finally higherlevel protocols that provide access to specific functions and information sets. Most of these details are 

specified in terms of interface standards. 

Interface standards (diagrams 1 & 6) 

Well-defined and widely implemented specifications for mechanisms used at various levels of interface 

between communicating software/hardware information systems. These include diverse standards 

(alternate mechanisms) for physical connection and signaling, for reliable transmissions of using them, for 

higher-level protocols that provide access to specific functions and information sets, and for data 

representation forms and structures. 

Jobs/lots (diagrams 9 & 10) 

A job is a requirement to manufacture some number of instances (a lot) of a given Part. Some jobs are to 

make products, some are to make components or subassemblies, and, some are to make tooling and 

fixtures for other Parts made in the facility. There may also be jobs to make prototypes or test 

engineering specifications, and jobs to perform setup or maintenance processes, depending on the way 

in which facility usage is planned. 

For each Job there is a plan that defines the sequence of steps required to make the lot, where each step 

requires a different major processing resource -- a different kind of equipment or a different equipment 

configuration. The first step of a job is always the preparation of the base materials needed to make the 

lot, and the direction to take that step is referred to as the ‘start’ of the job/lot. How the remaining steps in 

the Job are taken is very much dependent on the nature of the product, the structure of the facility, and 

the operations practices. 

Job status (diagrams 9 and 10) 

Report of the state of all scheduled jobs and the corresponding product lots. State information contained 

in the report could include - completed, on time, late, waiting to be started, in process at machine x, 

waiting for something at machine x, aborted, and, needs to be rescheduled. 

Line/cell state (diagram 10) 

Report of current state of an assembly line or group manufacturing cell. The primary state information is 

the ability of the line/cell to operate, whether at capacity or at reduced capacity; and, if it is currently not 

operational, whether the problem is temporary or longer term. Detailed state information could include 

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the status reports for line/cell components. 

Line/cell tasks (diagram 10) 

Commands to a line controller or group cell controller to add a particular job, step, or step sequence to its 

list of things to be done, together with priority and possibly a due date/time. For a line controller, this is 

effectively the job start, but after initial materials preparation and delivery. In a primarily human station, 

this is often implied by the arrival of a lot of workpieces at the station and detailed in the “traveler” papers 

that accompany it. 

Line/cell task status (diagram 10) 

Reports from a line or cell controller, or a workstation on the status of a Line/cell Task assignment. This 

includes not only not yet started, busy, done, but also indications of delays and estimated completion 

times and possible stalls because of problems with the available equipment or the workpiece. In a 

human-operated station, this can be automated, but is often verbal. 

Major processes (diagram 4) 

Specifications for the operations that create the major changes in the product-in-work from the base 

materials to the final product. This includes fabrication and assembly, and inspection operations, which 

influence the final disposition of the product. Major processes are distinguished by 1) the use of different 

kinds of equipment with different capabilities, or by 2) significantly different setups for the machines, or by 

3) significantly different skill requirements. In general, major processes are characterized by the type of 

equipment and skills required, and any special features that are critical to the selection of equipment, 

configuration, and operator. 

Make/buy decisions (diagram 7) 

For each component part of a product, and sometimes for fixtures and tooling for the product-in-work, the 

decision as to whether it will be procured from a supplier (“buy”) or assembled or fabricated in-house, 

either in the same facility or a sister facility (“make”). Many such decisions are made on the basis of 

organizational policy or availability in catalogs. Others are made-to-order and require a comparison of inhouse capability, resource availability, and cost with supplier capability, quality, responsiveness, and cost. 

Manufacturing calendar (diagrams 1, 2, & 9) 

Scheduled staffing times for the facility, including number of shifts and shift staffing/capacity for regular 

workdays, weekends, holidays, plant closings, etc. 

Manufacturing capabilities (diagrams 3, 4, & 5) 

The actual manufacturing capabilities that will be created by a production facility that meets the current 

facility design. In theory, this should include the “required capabilities” created by the current proposed 

process designs for the product(s). But, it may be somewhat different because of feasibility or cost 

limitations, and may then be interpreted as a constraint on the process design. 

Manufacturing Data Package (diagrams 2, 3, 4, 9, & 10) 

The complete specifications for the manufacture of a given lot size of the Part: the complete list of base 

materials or components from which it is to be made (Required materials), and the materials preparation 

and pre-positioning requirements, if any; the sequence of processes on the product-in-work and the 

corresponding major equipment, either by station or by type, together with configuration and tooling 

specifications; the required configurations of (and fixtures for) the handling and transport equipment; the 

detailed specifications for the automated operations -- control programs and parameters; and the detailed 

instructions for human operators. 

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The various elements of the Manufacturing Data Package are developed by different activities at different 

times, and the corresponding subsets are called out in the diagrams in Section 1 and separately 

documented in this section. 

Market data (diagrams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8) 

Estimates of the total volume of the product which could be sold, its market life, and the production rate 

required to meet the projected market opportunity. 

Master Production Schedule (diagram 9) 

A list of end products and major sub-assemblies or critical parts to be manufactured in each of the next N 

time periods. The list specifies product IDs, quantities, and the due dates. 

Material specifications (Product model) (diagram 4) 

The required raw material for fabrication of a part or the list of nominal components for an assembly, as 

specified by the product design. This is an input to a manufacturing engineering process that determines 

the material requirements for the manufacturing processes. 

Materials availability (diagram 9) 

Actual and anticipated inventory levels for raw materials, parts, and tooling for the near term. This is upto-date materials inventory information from the materials management activities, used in production 

planning and scheduling. 

Part & material suppliers (Resources) (diagrams 8 & 9) 

Contracted suppliers for the parts and materials that are to be “bought” as components of the product(s) 

to be manufactured. They may be supply catalog items, manufacturing services, or made-to-order items. 

There is accompanying information containing supplier evaluations, related catalog entries, costs, and 

lead times. 

Parts & kits (diagram 10) 

Physical component parts of a product (assembly) or raw materials for a fabricated product, provided from 

materials inventory to the factory floor. A kit is a structured collection of parts, and, possibly, tooling or 

consumables, that is the set of materials for a product lot. Parts going to the factory floor are usually kitted 

(packaged or fixtured in some transport device) at a materials preparation station, which is sometimes 

considered the first step in a lot start. But some parts and kits are prepositioned at, or separately fed into, 

manufacturing stations where they are processed into the product. 

Patents & design constraints (diagrams 1 & 2) 

Constraints on the product, subsystem, and component designs imposed by competing patents and 

corporate policy -- design styles, composition, technology used, ergonomics, product family similarity, etc. 

These may imply both layout constraints and component constraints. 

Personnel & equipment (Resources) (diagrams 8, 9, & 10) 

The major in-house resources available for manufacturing the product and any parts to be made within 

the facility – primarily the workforce and the major equipment. 

Physical models (diagrams 2, 3, 4, & 5) 

Non-functional models of parts and subsystems made by rapid (and other) prototyping processes, for the 

purposes of presentation, engineering analysis, and manufacturing engineering. 

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Preliminary production cost estimate (diagrams 3, 4, & 7) 

An estimate of the per-lot cost of manufacturing the product based on the specification for the processes, 

and using standard reference costs for expected resource utilization. cf. Production cost estimate. 

Process capabilities (Required capabilities) (diagram 4) 

The major processes needed for the manufacture of the parts and products, and any special process 

requirements, such as ability to process specific materials, deal with unusual sizes and shapes, or 

maintain certain tolerances. It may also include identification of the principal processing equipment 

characteristics and specific skills requirements for human resources performing those processes. 

This represents one side of ongoing interchanges among process engineering and facilities engineering 

activities, with the consequence that the process definition is in varying degrees of detail at different 

times. The other side of the interchange is the “Manufacturing capabilities” of planned and available 

equipment. 

Process details (Manufacturing Data Package) (diagrams 4 & 10) 

The detailed specifications for the individual processes involved in the manufacture of a given lot size of 

the product, and for the processing stations that will perform those processes. The basic specification is a 

sequence of processes to be implemented by specific equipment stations or types. The detailed 

specifications elaborate each of those processes. 

For the equipment, this includes the type and configuration/setup, the required tooling at the station, and 

any special concerns. For any human operators, it will identify required skills and certifications. It will also 

identify any incoming or prepositioned parts and materials that are added at the station. For the process, 

it may identify a standard process or a specific control program, together with the (nominal) control 

parameters. In addition, it may provide an operations sequence for human operators in the form of 

operator instructions. 

Process models (diagrams 1, 2, 3, & 4) 

A standard, predefined set of operations and related specifications that are used to fabricate, assemble or 

inspect specific part types or part features. In general, such operations are parametrized by specific 

design dimensions, datums, and tolerances. 

Product Library (diagrams 1 & 2) 

(Also called a Design Library) The specifications for products that have been previously designed by the 

organization. It serves as a basis for new designs that are similar in structure or have similar features, and 

may also be similar in their manufacturing requirements. 

Product model (diagrams 2, 3, 4, 5, & 7) 

A computer-interpretable representation of the product and subassembly layouts, and all the 

specifications for each component, including: 

For parts to be fabricated: 

• materials of which the component is made 

• component dimensions, geometry and topology 

• surface finish (roughness, hardness, coatings) 

• notes on special processing procedures 

For (sub)assemblies: 

• the (partial) bill of materials: the list of component Parts 

• the assembly configuration: how the components fit together 

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• fit specifications: tightness requirements for fits, bindings and seals 

In general: 

• quantitative quality controls: tolerances, datums, limits and fits 

• design features: features of the Part which are important to the designer in making decisions and 

identifying similarities. Features may be codified based on some classification system designed to 

determine similar parts (group technology codes for product design). 

• design intent: statements of the relationships between specific design choices and specific 

constraints, specifications and guidelines which govern the product or design process. Also 

statements of the interrelationships of the design choices themselves, including the use of off-theshelf components. 

• notes on special handling procedures 

• notes on special quality control procedures 

Product orders (diagrams 1, 2, & 9) 

Quantities of specific products to be produced by the facility, usually with nominal delivery dates, as 

specified by enterprise sources external to the manufacturing activities. The relationship between these 

and the orders placed by actual customers is dependent on business decisions. 

Production cost estimate (diagrams 1, 2, 3, & 7) 

Best estimates of the cost of manufacturing the products and their components, taking into account use of 

manufacturing equipment and skilled labor, cost of materials and supplied parts, plus tooling, 

consumables, handling and in-work transportation costs, inspection, scrap rate, etc. These estimates can 

be produced at various stages in the engineering activities with different confidence levels and may relate 

to either as-is or to-be production facilities. 

Production models (diagrams 1, 2, 3, 5, & 6) 

The body of knowledge available about production systems and facilities. In particular, this includes 

(usually detailed) designs and performance information for the existing production facilities of the 

manufacturing organization; but, it may also include (usually less detailed) knowledge of the designs and 

performance of facilities of other organizations, particularly those who make competing products. 

Production orders (diagram 9) 

Quantities of products and components to be made in the facility within a given time frame. This is 

derived from and reflects the Master Production Schedule. The quantities and time-frame reflect capacity 

estimates, rather than resource schedules. The relationship of production order quantities to 

product/customer orders depends on business rules and long-term planning. The relationship of 

production orders to batches/lots/jobs is dependent on the product, the facility and the manufacturing 

resource planning algorithms. 

Products (diagrams 1, 2, 9, & 10) 

The physical end products of the manufacturing processes, some of which are “final products” provided to 

external customers. 

Required capabilities (diagrams 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7) 

A specification of the processing and handling capabilities that are required for the manufacture of a given 

product or product family. It includes the basic processing capabilities, and also unusual features or 

quality requirements that distinguish resources that can be used for the manufacturing tasks. The 

capabilities may be stated in terms of standard processes and process parameters, or in types of 

machines, tooling, and tolerances, and/or in terms of workforce skills and certifications. 

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Required materials (Manufacturing Data Package) (diagram 4) 

The complete list of materials with quantities needed to produce a particular Part or Product. This list 

may include base materials, components, and consumables such as fasteners, adhesives, lubricants, 

coolants, and coatings. 

Resource availability (diagrams 2, 8, & 9) 

The equipment and personnel to be considered available in the target manufacturing facility over some 

specified time periods when planning and scheduling the production processes for a given product. It may 

include some indication of expected capacity. This information may specify the entire facility, or the 

portion not currently allocated to other production plans, or a portion specifically allocated to the particular 

product being planned. The information may define the facility as is, or the facility to be, depending on 

the business plans for the product and the facility. 

Resource descriptions (diagrams 1, 2, 3, 5, & 9) 

Technical descriptions of the manufacturing resources that the engineer may have available for the 

production of the product. There are several important subtypes: Machine descriptions, tooling 

descriptions, and human resource descriptions (Skills pool). 

Resource status (diagrams 9 and 10) 

Reports of current status of personnel and equipment, including both scheduled and unexpected changes 

of state, such as equipment problem reports. State information could include: resource currently up and 

busy on job x, machine x currently down for pre-planned maintenance, or machine x currently down for 

remedial maintenance, employee x out on sick leave, among others. The summary of this report is the 

ratio of active production capacity to planned production capacity. 

Resource requirements (Facility design) (diagram 7) 

An excerpt from the Facility design that identifies the major equipment resources to be acquired or 

allocated and possibly reconfigured, along with any specialized structural elements, tooling, handling 

devices, and maintenance equipment, and required personnel, skills and certifications. 

Resource usage (diagrams 2, 8, 9, and 10) 

Reports of time and process conditions for equipment and personnel in service, possibly associated with 

specific products (where business accounting demands that). This is a measure of in-service-usage of 

equipment often used to predict maintenance requirements, but it may also be a factor in asset utilization 

and cost reporting. 

Resources (diagrams 2, 8, & 9) 

The physical resources available for manufacturing activities: personnel, equipment, tooling and fixtures, 

materials, the plant and its utilities. 

Sequences & routings (Manufacturing Data Package) (diagrams 3, 5, & 10) 

The sequence of operations needed to transform base materials and/or component parts into a product 

lot and ensure the quality of the individual products in the lot. This includes specification of the sequence 

of station (types) to be visited, including both processing stations and inspection stations, and the 

processes to be performed at each station. This is sometimes called the “macro” process plan. 

Supplied part cost & lead time (diagram 7) 

For a given part/component of a product, a nominal cost of acquiring it from suppliers, and an estimated 

lead time between order placement and part delivery. This typically represents a weighted average of 

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quotations from multiple potential suppliers. 

Suppliers & capabilities (diagram 2, 3, 7, & 8) 

Identification of a set of potential suppliers for a specific set of parts, materials, or tooling, accompanied 

by 1) a description of their relevant manufacturing capabilities and limitations and 2) evaluations of 

capacity, performance, quality, cost, lead time, etc., based on prior or market experience. The set is 

usually an ordered list, with preferred suppliers at the top. 

Support systems specifications (diagram 5) 

Specifications for plant systems that are critical to manufacturing processes but not directly involved in 

them. This includes plant utilities (power, water, HVAC), communications systems, information systems, 

safety systems, and maintenance facilities. It also includes several materials management facilities: 

receiving stations, storage and inventory systems, parts delivery systems and materials preparation 

stations, tool cribs, tool and kit building stations, and, product packaging and shipping stations. It may 

also include scrap, rework and materials recovery facilities. 

Most of these would rarely be specified for anything other than a new or replacement plant design, but 

additions and modifications to the existing plant may be specified for the support of new or revamped 

cells and lines. 

Time & cost data (diagrams 1, 2, 3, & 4) 

Standardized data that specify estimated times and costs for standard processing operations. These 

data are standardized in the sense that the organization prescribes their use in preliminary cost 

estimations. 

Tooling & materials (diagrams 1, 2, & 9) 

Physical objects — tooling and consumable materials, fixtures and carriers, stock materials and 

component parts — that must be present at the preparation and processing stations for the products to be 

made. 

Tooling & materials orders (diagram 9) 

Orders to suppliers for raw materials, off-the-shelf parts and tooling; orders for externally supplied 

fabricated parts and subsystems, made-to-order tooling and fixtures, etc. 

Unit tasks (diagram 10) 

Commands to an equipment controller to perform one or more operations programmed as a unit. This 

may be a command to execute a particular control program or a command to perform an operation which 

is predefined in the controller. 

Unit task status (diagram 10) 

Response from the controller to unit commands, or to queries about the status of a particular operation. 

For example, “not yet started”, “busy” (and possibly “will finish in <duration>“), “done”, or some kind of 

problem indication. 

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Acknowledgements 

This work builds on the prior work of Simon P. Frechette and the late Charles R. McLean. 

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References 

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[1] E. J. Barkmeyer, T. Hopp, M. Pratt, and G Rinaudot, Background Study: Requisite Elements, 

Rationale, and Technology Overview for the Systems Integration for Manufacturing 

Applications (SIMA) Program, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) – 5662, National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, August 1995. 

[2] P.M. Ferreira, S.C.-Y. Lu, and X. Zhu, Conceptual Model for Process Planning, Consortium 

for Advanced Manufacturing International (CAM-I), Arlington, Texas, (1990). 

[3] Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) Application Framework Specification v1.1, 

SEMATECH Technology Transfer Report #93061697, Austin, Texas, September (1991). 

[4] A. Berre, B. Elvesæter, N. Figay, C. Guglielmina, S. Johnsen, D. Karlsen, T. Knothe, and S. 

Lippe, The ATHENA Interoperability Framework. Enterprise Interoperability II, Springer, New 

York, pp. 569–580. (2007). 

[5] Standards Catalog of the ISO Technical Committee 184 on Automation systems and 

integration, International Organization for Standardization. [Web page], 

http://www.iso.org/iso/home/store/catalogue_tc/catalogue_tc_browse.htm?commid=54110 

[accessed 16 June 2015]. 

[6] E. J. Barkmeyer, N. Christopher, S. C. Feng, J. E. Fowler, S. P. Frechette, A. T. Jones, K. K. 

Jurrens, C. R. McLean, M. Pratt, H. A. Scott, M. K. Senehi, R. D. Sriram, and E. K. Wallace, 

SIMA Reference Architecture Part I: Activity Models, NIST Interagency/Internal Report 

(NISTIR) – 5939, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, December 

1996. 

[7] IEEE 1320.1 IEEE Functional Modeling Language – Syntax and Semantics for IDEF0, 

International Society of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, (1998). 

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Appendix A: Interpretation of IDEF0 Diagrams 

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The Smart Manufacturing functional models were developed using the formal methods and 

diagrammatic techniques defined by IDEF0 [7], with certain additional conventions. 

The fundamental objects of an IDEF0 model are activities, information flows, and resources. In 

IDEF0, activities represent functions and operations performed by humans, hardware/software 

systems, or both (interactively). In the diagrams, activities are represented by boxes. Any 

modeled activity may have a refinement — a decomposition of the activity into component 

activities, each with its own information flows and resource requirements. By convention, the 

first diagram page of an IDEF0 model identifies the highest-level activity being modeled, the 

second diagram page models its (first-level) refinement — the primary decomposition, and each 

subsequent page represents the refinement of a single activity on some previous page. To show 

the relationships, each activity has a label, consisting of an A followed by some number of digits. 

The activities of the primary decomposition are designated A1, A2, ... The activities of each 

subsequent refinement are labelled by appending one digit to the label of the activity being 

refined. 

Information flows into and out of an activity must be accounted for in some level of its 

decomposition (typically in its immediate refinement); that is, the information must flow into or 

out of one or more of the activities in the decomposition. Similarly, typically, resources required 

by an activity must be required by one or more of the activities in its decomposition. 

Conversely, the refinement of an activity should not introduce additional external information 

flows or resource requirements, although it may include new flows between activities of the 

decomposition. 

There are, however, cases where a flow may not be used directly for one or more levels of 

refinement. These cases are supported in IDEF0 by what are called tunneled arrows. Flows that 

will not appear in the immediate refinement of an activity are indicated in IDEF0 as tunneled 

using a parenthesis where the arrow contacts the activity box. The refinement in which a 

tunneled flow emerges will have parenthesis at the unconnected end of the arrow, indicating to 

the reader of the diagram that the arrow will not be seen in the immediate parent of the 

decomposition in which it is shown. Any arrows with the parenthesis notation (i.e. at either end 

of a tunneled flow) are termed tunneled arrows. 

It is important to note that IDEF0 does not model the timing of activities. The ordering of the 

activities by label-number does not imply time or precedence. IDEF0 does not distinguish 

among once-only, repeated, and continuous activities. Most of the activities modeled here are 

repeated, even for the same product, until the technical quality of the outputs is deemed 

adequate. If activity A has an information flow to activity B and activity B has an information 

flow to activity A, then these activities may occur in parallel or be repeated consecutively until 

some stable state or terminal condition is reached. Whether these activities occur in parallel, or 

with staggered starts, or consecutively, is often a business rule of the organization. In most 

cases, we have attempted to clarify timing considerations in the text description of the activities. 

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Information flows represent collections of information objects which have a common purpose or 

content and together provide a complete information set. Each information flow has one or more 

activities which are its producers and one or more activities which are its consumers. Except for 

the external flows of the overall activity, all producer and consumer activities are modeled. 

Consequently, information flows are modeled by arrows in the diagrams leading from the 

producer to the consumer. Arrows emanating to/from labels at the edges of the page represent 

“external” flows — flows into or out of the activity which this page refines. 

There are cases where only a subset of the data in a flow is used by an activity. These are shown 

in diagrams as subflows splitting off from the main flow and have labels describing the subset of 

the main flow they contain. 

From the point-of-view of a single activity, its information flows are divided into three 

categories: 

• inputs — that information which is needed to perform the activity. We adopt the additional 

conventions that inputs represent information which is used in its entirety by the activity and inputs 

may vary over repetitions of the activity for a given product. In the diagrams, inputs are arrows 

into the left side of the activity box. 

• outputs — that information which is produced (or modified) by the activity. Some outputs are 

feedbacks to other activities producing input to this activity. In the diagrams, outputs are arrows 

exiting the right side of the activity box. 

• controls — that information which represents rules under which the activity must operate. We 

adopt the convention that controls represent inputs which do not vary over repetitions of the activity 

and instances of the activity may not ignore any of the controls which apply to it. In the diagrams, 

controls are arrows into the top of the activity box. 

In the Part 1 models, we treat resources as largely static information resources that the activity 

may use selectively according to the needs of each instance. That is, resources represent 

databases and knowledge bases. This is a rather unusual use of the IDEF0 facility — 

conventionally, resources represent people, equipment, and materials needed to perform the task, 

but the emphasis in the Smart Manufacturing models is on information requirements. In the 

diagrams, resources are represented by arrows into the bottom of the activity box. 

In a few cases, it was considered useful to identify physical objects as inputs, outputs, and 

resources — these are distinguished from other types of flows in the diagrams in this paper by 

their labels appearing in bold type with underscores. 

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