A Methodology for Solving Logistic Optimization Problems through Simulation

In this paper we present a methodological approach designed to automate the decision-making in logistic systems, with deterministic time, by solving optimization problems. The Colored Petri Net (CPN) formalism has been used as a base to develop a methodology that integrates the features of operational research, artificial intelligence and simulation fields. At the same time, it combines the modeling of discrete event systems with simulation, analysis and system optimization, transforming a conceptual model into a simulation model, and a decision problem into a search problem. The use of the CPN formalism has allowed the integration of all of these different research fields into a unique decision support tool.