This book offers a new Modular Petri Net as a solution to the vast Petri net models. It presents some approaches centering around modules (known as "Petri modules"). The goal of this book is to introduce a methodology in which Petri nets are moved to a new level. In this new level, large Petri net models are made of Petri modules, which are independent and run on different computers. This book also contains the literature study on modular Petri nets and definitions for the newer Petri modules. Also, algorithms for extracting Petri modules, and algorithms for connecting Petri modules, and applications are given in this book. Besides, the ideas and algorithms given in this book are implemented in the software General-purpose Petri Net Simulator (GPenSIM). Hence, with the use of this book the readers/users would be able to know that real-life discrete event systems could be modeled, analyzed, and performance-optimized with GPenSIM.

This book offers a new Modular Petri Net as a solution to the vast Petri net models. It presents some approaches centering around modules (known as "Petri modules"). The goal of this book is to introduce a methodology in which Petri nets are moved to a new level. In this new level, large Petri net models are made of Petri modules, which are independent and run on different computers. This book also contains the literature study on modular Petri nets and definitions for the newer Petri modules. Also, algorithms for extracting Petri modules, and algorithms for connecting Petri modules, and applications are given in this book. Besides, the ideas and algorithms given in this book are implemented in the software General-purpose Petri Net Simulator (GPenSIM). Hence, with the use of this book the readers/users would be able to know that real-life discrete event systems could be modeled, analyzed, and performance-optimized with GPenSIM.

In this book, we introduce a new Petri Net simulator called GPenSIM (General Purpose Petri Net Simulator). GPenSIM runs on MATLAB platform. GPenSIM is designed with one specific goal: allowing Petri net models to integrate with other MATLAB toolboxes. By integrating Petri net models with other toolboxes, numerous benefits can be reaped. For example, by integrating with MATLAB Fuzzy Toolbox, we can experiment with Fuzzy Petri Nets; by combining with MATLAB Control Systems Toolbox, we can create hybrid discrete-continuous systems. Hence, the main goal of this book is to introduce GPenSIM - a platform with which we can create Petri net models incorporating many other toolboxes, libraries, and functions that are already available on the MATLAB platform. There are many examples worked out in this book. These examples are simple and easy to follow. However, this book is not an introduction to Petri nets. Reader should know Petri net basics beforehand in order to start working with this book. Both the simulator GPenSIM and codes for examples (M-files) can be downloaded from the web site: http://www.davidrajuh.net/gpensim.

This book describes a methodology for automating supplier selection procedures of small and medium- sized agile virtual enterprises. Firstly, a modeling approach is given that divides the supplier selection procedures broadly into three stages, the pre-selection, selection, and post- selection stages. Then the methodology identifies the steps within the selection stage that can be automated. The methodology also proposes three modules for automating the selection stage. To assist automation, the selection stage is further divided into three sub-stages, namely, bidder selection, partner selection and performance evaluation sub- stages. By this methodology, each sub-stage of the selection stage employs a module for automation: the data collection system for automating on-site selection sub-stage, the inference engine for selecting the best supplier from a list of potential suppliers, and the performance evaluation engine for performance evaluation of the supplier that is selected as the best supplier by the inference engine.