Patent ID: 8201174

Claim:
A system for determining a performing order of a plurality of processes, the system comprising: a memory device that stores, for each combination of processes in the plurality of processes, an expected value of time required to carry out a modification necessary for matching a result of performing one of the plurality of processes to a result of performing another one of the plurality of processes, when the one of the plurality of processes is performed before the other one of the plurality of processes is performed; a first judging device that judges whether or not a first condition is satisfied, for each combination of processes in the plurality of processes in which a primary process can be carried out before secondary process, using each expected value read from the memory device, the first condition being such that the time required to carry out a modification when the primary process is carried out before the secondary process is shorter than the time required to carry out a modification when the primary process is carried out after the secondary process; a first determining device that determines to perform the primary process before the secondary process when the first condition is satisfied; and a scheduling device that determines a performing order of remaining processes in the plurality of processes in accordance with the performing order determined by the first determining device, and outputs the performing order determined; wherein the first judging device further judges whether a second condition is satisfied, for each combination of processes in the plurality of processes in which the primary process can be carried out after the secondary process, the second condition being such that the time required to carry out a modification when the primary process is carried out after any of the secondary process is shorter than the time required to carry out a modification when the primary process is carried out before any of the secondary process; the first determining device determines to perform the primary process after the secondary process when the second condition is satisfied; wherein the plurality of processes are previously decided in order to design a specific product; each one of the plurality of processes determines a design of a part of the specific product or a design of a step of a manufacturing process of the product; and the memory device that further stores, for each combination of processes in the plurality of processes, an expected value of time required to carry out a design change necessary for matching a design determined by one of the plurality of processes to a design determined by another one of the plurality of processes, when the one of the plurality of processes is performed before the other one of the plurality of processes is performed.