Supporting manufacturing with simulation: model design, development, and deployment

  • Authors:
  • Frank Chance;Jennifer Robinson;John W. Fowler

  • Affiliations:
  • Chance Industrial Solutions, 6900G Lake Drive, Dublin, California;University of Massachusetts, 581 VFW Parkway, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts;Arizona State University, Dept. of I.M.S.E., Box 875906, Tempe, Arizona

  • Venue:
  • WSC '96 Proceedings of the 28th conference on Winter simulation
  • Year:
  • 1996

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Abstract

In this paper, we identify and discuss the features we believe are key to the successful use of simulation as a manufacturing support tool. The discussion begins with three sample projects drawn from the authors' industrial and consulting experiences. Using these projects as motivation, we discuss the ideal project lifecycle model design, development, and deployment. For model design, we emphasize the importance of a clear and consistent specification, articulated in a written document. This specification should identify project customers, goals, and deliverables. We next review a range of model development options, stressing the existence of many non-simulation alternatives. We also discuss methods for model verification and validation. Finally, we consider the difficulties of model deployment, including simulation output analysis, data maintenance, and model integration. We close with several suggestions on how best to present simulation results to a management audience.