A Systematic Approach To Assessing And Extending Graphical Models Of Manufacturing (Model Design, Information Flow) Reference Jazbutis, Gintautas Bronius (1996) Doctoral Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Abstract A systematic approach to assessing current graphical modeling methods, and for extending one, was proposed. A set of requirements for modeling manufacturing systems, and material handling within them, was developed. A representative set of existing graphical modeling methods was evaluated against these requirements; strengths and weaknesses were identified. IDEF0 was chosen as suitable for extension. A design method was used to extend IDEF0 systematically. Several graphical constructs were added to IDEF0's syntax: distinct information flows; resources used to move flows; storage locations for material items; decision points in the sequence of processes; and a rearranging of the layout of process boxes to indicate a more precise sequence of events. Several forms were also added to capture information about the processes, resources, decisions, storage locations, and information and material object flows. Together, these additions make for the modeling method JDEF. JDEF was evaluated against two case studies and promises to be a useful method for modeling manufacturing systems. Also, the approach taken is promising in the development of all-new graphical modeling methods, as opposed to extending an existing one, as was done in this research. Manuscript: order via UMI