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An adaptive agent-based process model for optimizing innovative design

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to dynamically optimize the process architecture of innovative design. We introduce an adaptive agent-based process model that considers innovative design as a complex adaptive system. This model is executed by a central coordinate agent with the help of activity agents and external agents. Instead of predefining an initial process architecture, we dynamically construct the model by adaptively selecting the design activity. Moreover, we contribute a hybrid algorithm that combines the Monte Carlo simulation and the bat algorithm to evaluate the activity value by considering the technical performance, the project performance and the innovative performance. Finally, we apply the model and the hybrid algorithm to an industrial case, and then analyze the simulation results and associated managerial insights.

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Acknowledgements

The work is supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71501055, 71601066, 71690230, 71690235), the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (1708085QG164, 1808085QG220), and the Humanities and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (16YJC630093).

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Correspondence to Zhanglin Peng.

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Zhang, Q., Peng, Z., Lu, X. et al. An adaptive agent-based process model for optimizing innovative design. Optim Lett 15, 591–612 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11590-019-01420-1

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