Simulation is one of the most powerful analysis tools responsible for the design and operation of complex systems. Simulation involves the modelling of a process or system in such a way that the model mimics the response of the actual system to events that take place over time. The model can be used to predict future behaviour and the effects produced by changes in the systems or in its method of operation.

CMS is another form of manufacturing system which applies the concept of group technology to provide some of the operational advantages of a flow shop while maintaining some of the strategic advantages of the job shop. Many research areas are involved in the concept including different types of cell formation and production planning for controlling the operation within and among the cells (inter-cell workload transfer).

Production planning uses the information from product and sales planning to plan the aggregate rates of production and the inventory levels. The objective of production planning is to provide sufficient finished goods in a period to meet the sales plan objectives while staying within financial and production capacity constraints. It is one of the richest areas that still requires further research.

The main objective of justification processes is to justify an investment to see whether or not it is worth investing. However, in justifying new manufacturing technologies, traditional justification methods, with their overemphasis on short-term savings, cause these projects to be rejected while others fail to come up to expectation. Many forms of the integration of economic analysis which provides results in monetary terms with strategic analysis showing results from evaluator rating of his or her subjective feeling are an interesting area for further research.