Co-located multi-user support for cooperative process and production planning

Process optimization, setting up or modifying lines of production usually requires the collaboration from experts with backgrounds on different disciplines such as logistics, product development, maintenance, quality assurance, operations and human resources. Existing planning tools can only support specialists working in isolation from the planning process. Interaction is limited to one-user at a time. Modifications from other collaborators have to be integrated by every specialist after every planning meeting. In this paper we present a cooperative workplace, called KoKoBel, developed for the operative optimization of planning of production, processes and premises under an organizational and technological concept based on open software architecture. At the workplace, the participants of the planning process can discuss their ideas and collaborate to generate better solutions.