COSMOS. A framework for a computer-aided logistics system

Material logistics is the planning, scheduling and control of material flow through a manufacturing and distribution system. Computer integrated manufacturing should be viewed as a triad of computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and computer-aided material logistics (CAL). Fundamental issues faced by developers of CAL systems include representation, ease of use, model expressiveness, hierarchical decomposition, and analysis potential. The authors discuss these issues and describe a prototype CAL system called COSMOS, an acronym for the Cornell Simulator of Manufacturing Operations. They also summarize the use of COSMOS in a study of the supply of semiconductor chips to a packaging line at IBM Poughkeepsie.