Discrete Event Simulation & Modeling of the
Transportation Element within a Supply Chain (SC)
Mansour Toloo
(Motorola Inc.)
Abstract:
The SC involves coordinating elements along a value
chain delivering the appropriate quantities of goods and services to the right
locations while meeting service level requirements and minimizing end-to-end
SC costs. Transportation is a significant element of the SC that supports
business operations and logistics. This presentation discusses the data
collection, the process mapping of carrier delivery flows across all
transportation modes and the data analysis of the simulation activity. The
conversion of the data analysis outputs and process mapping into the
composition of an end-to-end transportation model is described. The
presentation discusses the transformation of the information into a modular
and serial construct that imitates the serial nature of the transportation
element while allowing the involved operations to be included in a logical,
expandable and maintainable approach within the capabilities of a given
simulation environment. Finally, the presentation addresses the
institutionalization of the model within the SC organization.
Integrating Simulation with Corporate
Initiatives
Malcolm Beaverstock (General Mills, Inc)
Abstract:
Simulation has seen an explosive increase in use within
GMI over the past 10 years with increasing financial success. As the demand
for simulation grew a decision was made to leverage this tool by significantly
expanding the user base. Now, using a highly customized user interface and
integrating with central libraries and data bases, simulation has become the
focal point for manufacturing and engineering analysis by personnel throughout
the organization. Utilizing GMI terminology and metrics, users can easily
focus on issues related to company initiatives for conceptual engineering,
option engineering, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement. Reduction
in training, re-learning, and model development time has lead to early
acceptance from casual, intermediate, and power users. While being user
friendly is an objective, this initiative is definitely NOT “Simulation for
Dummies” but instead requires individuals to understand, in more depth,
manufacturing and business alternatives.
How General Motors Used Simulators to Save Time and
Money Creating Value for Our Customers
James R Ashby (General
Motors)
Abstract:
This case study demonstrates how General Motors
benefited by constructing special purpose simulators using ARENA Templates to
rapidly model manufacturing systems common in the Automotive Industry. We use
real manufacturing examples to demonstrate the enormous flexibility of these
simulators while discussing the principles integral to their development. The
simulators discussed here reduced model creation time from weeks to hours.
Moreover, they eliminated the need for expert simulation engineers while at
the same time dramatically improving modeling accuracy. In fact, it became
common practice for engineers without any prior simulation experience to be
trained and accurately constructing complex Body Shop models within a couple
of weeks. For the first time, simulation analysis could be used in real time
throughout the engineering development process. Hence, more effort was
dedicated to analysis and improving system designs rather than constructing
models.
