TOPP. A team-oriented project planning system for R&D

A team-oriented project planning system, based on a multi-agent approach has been implemented. It takes into account the typical properties of R&D Projects, such as uncertainty, changing constraints and highly interrelated sub-processes, as they are characteristic for a Rapid Product Development Design approach. The system as such Provides each development team with identical running agents, which support the generation, evaluation and selection of suitable plans. For the definition time-relations as Proposed by Allen et al. are used. Seven characteristic figures have been developed to evaluate the plans generated. In order to reduce the cognitive strain during the selection of the appropriate plan different scenarios can be build up, which all focus typical object situations. The interfaces between the autonomouos planning agents are defined by the manner. This approach has been choosen as R&D projects are too complex, prohibiting the definition of rules. Hence TOPP enables the contro l of interfaces not their definition, Current developments will enable the system to he used in a multi-project environment.