Business Process Modelling: SIMUL8 - Case Study Example

Business Process Modelling Introduction The paper details the ability of simulation based planning to examineproduct flow across a company while seeking to provide mechanisms through which the same can be made better leading to proficiency within the system. It studies the SIMUL8 planner’s ability to correctly provide data from a simulation that would be directly relevant and identical to the sampled production line leading to saving on time and cost. (Law, 2006) While realizing the ability of the SIMUL8 planner to provide a powerful platform to develop, test, and refine production schedules before being released into the shop-floor, the study sought to generate production plans for composite modelling companies that would lead to efficacy within the systems providing for maximum profits within them. It sought to synchronize the existing systems with improved processes across the plant processes leading to improved performance. The study examines the ability of the SIMUL8 planner as a scheduling system to improve due date conformance and to make better use of operating capacity within a composite manufacturing center. It provides an opportunity to study the relationships of the different processes as relates to each other without assuming the magnanimous risk that an actual study of the processes would entail. (SIMUL8) Problem Statement This study aims to assess the relevance and exactitude of the SIMUL8 planner model to provide a simulation of a composite planner model that would be reflective of the actual production process, enabling the company assess the production line with a view to improving it without assuming the risk of trial and error during the actual production process. (Kim Hindle, 2006) It seeks to address the production of specialized high-carbon parts for various assembly organs in a composite manufacturing system as the process is lengthy and complex. It concentrates on the lay-up department as it is responsible for initial layout and lamination of the cut composite material shapes to be used in the assembly line. Complexities at this stage including manually creating schedules for the department and lack of flexibility in the system to adapt to the constantly changing environment in the production line have led to a high work-in progress and inefficient product batches for the production machines. (Kim Hindle, 2006) Assumptions Document The simulation adopted by the SIMUL8 planner is a blueprint aimed at providing a flexible, faster and proficient mechanism of analyzing the composite production process with a view to maximizing profits within the company. (Law, 2006) The SIMUL8 planner defines all aspects of the manufacturing process, resource requirements and availability of resources. It can also be linked to existing MRP and ERP systems to among other things download current orders, bills of materials and product outings. On completion the production model can be used to simulate the flow of planned production based on the schedule offering a practical and feasible solution that cannot be guaranteed using algorithm-based optimization packages. It avails an opportunity to study each process with a view to improving it. (Kim Hindle, 2006) Validity of the Assumptions Document (Kim Hindle, 2006) It provides visibility of the entire work flow It helps identify key constraints within the system with an aim to solve the same It provides alternative sequencing rules through the use of ‘what-if’ analysis Through experimentation with existing scheduling rules, it generates efficient production schedules that not only satisfy manufacturing constraints but also maximize the objectives of the composite manufacturing center management. It ensures that key processes are provided with work at all times thereby achieving a high level operational objective creating a lean environment. Programming the Model There are various factors that need to be taken into account whilst constructing the SIMUL8 planner. (Law, 2006) It should incorporate within itself the current workings of plant processes and product flow within the production model including its equipment, skilled labour and machine buffers. It should also contain the production plan which should be improved with a view to meeting local and global standards. It should define the process flow for individual products and simulate the system constraints within the process, i.e. the tools which carry the composite parts and the resources incorporated in the whole process. (Kim Hindle, 2006) Validity of the Program Model (Kim Hindle, 2006) The program incorporates a customizable import for inputting order information enabling the end user to easily run different programs and organize separate program imports for “what-if” analysis purposes thereby providing the opportunity to run all assigned work orders, thus identifying any capacity issues. The production model provides an exceptional platform to test different product sequences and scheduling options for the imported orders during the development phase allowing for the consideration of fixed operating rules vis a vis adaptive scheduling functions while investigating their impact upon the due date conformance and utilization of production capacity. The improved scheduling rules according to local and global standards are used to sequence orders into the plant and across each work area or operating cell providing an ability to satisfy the local machine operating efficiencies as well as global scheduling objectives. Analysis of the Process Sequencing orders based solely on their due date is not appropriate since the amount of time required to produce parts varies significantly with the part type. A combination of operational and scheduling preference, weighted by the end user, ensures the best use of the autoclaves, taking into consideration the overall business objectives with the current plan and product demand conditions. The resultant system combines import and export functions which provide maximum schedule visibility to a variety of end-users. The system produces accurate and feasible work schedules specific to every machine in the production line and is able to quickly respond to changing order requirements or interruptions within the production process. Through ensuring that batch operations are maximized, the system frees up supervisor time for more important tasks. (Kim Hindle, 2006) Conclusion Even though the SIMUL8 planner was adapted to address the needs of composite manufacturing scheduling requirements (SIMUL8), it has proven to be flexible to a wide range of scheduling problems. Automation of scheduling results within the composite manufacturing process has allowed for the synchronized and balanced planning of the production process across the entire plant. The system considers all order due dates, commonality of operations, resource availability and complex product batching constraints enabling the plant schedulers to be able to easily react to the changing operating conditions and requirements. (Kim Hindle, 2006) Business Process Modelling in the Healthcare Industry Companies have for a long period of time sought to adapt to the continuous changing conditions of the market brought about by the stiff competition amongst the market players and the ever changing market conditions. There arose a need for companies to possess a modus of operation that would act as a blueprint in guiding and tracking their evolution to suit the emerging market trends. The Business Processing Model is used in this regard because it enhances business process development as it promotes the stimulation of the business through its step by step analytical approach of construction. (Melão, 2001) Business process modelling is the representation of the processes of a business enterprise to provide for its analysis leading to the enterprises’ improved efficiency and quality. There is a process master that is created through the incorporation of different mechanisms including but not limited to Grantt charts, flow charts, control flow diagrams, functional flow block diagrams, PERT diagrams, Business Process Modelling Notation and Unified Modelling language. These act to represent the core aspects of a business enabling the company forecast how the business will perform under certain conditions. Its main purpose is to identify the most effective process flow leading to the prevention of problems that might arise during the actual execution of the process. (Armistead, 1996) Some of the approaches to be used in Business Process Modelling are the use of the problem structure, hierarchical model building, parallel and distributed computing, conceptual modelling and animation and intermediate layers. There is no restriction on the type of company within which the Business Process Model is to be applied. This is because it provides a framework step by step flow of the enterprise with a view to incorporating all of its processes. This is why the Business Process Model is a preferred mode of reengineering the organization because through the breakdown of the organization’s process, one gets to analyze and improve on areas that need improvement within the system. (Barber, 2003) In the field of health, the nature of the service offered makes it vital for the organization offering the service to be able to correctly analyze and act on its processes with a view to providing top of the shelf services because it is a matter of life and death far removed from profit interpretations. The profit analysis that is the basis of every organization must also be seen to be factored into the Business Process Model because the organization has to be a going concern for it to continually offer stellar services to its clientele. The main challenges of Business Process Modelling in healthcare include the variability of the processes incorporated in health care, the continually changing scientific information that should be incorporated in dispensing service and the interdependence of the various multiple information systems. (Melão, 2001) The health care industry has tried to address these challenges with a view to improving the quality of services they avail to their clientele. The industry has leaned heavily on the use of flow charts as a modelling method to assist them in bettering their systems due to the complex nature of the industry, owing to the need for fast decision making, communication and information sharing that takes place in synchrony across multiple service providers. (Turrini). The Business Model should provide an analysis of the complex processes of the industry and provide an output that is understandable by the industry players who access the same. (V. Gruhn and R. Laue, 2006) The Business Model Process should seek to address security and privacy concerns of the information that is exchanged as between the different service providers so as to foster trust within the system which is important owing to the nature of the healthcare industry. (Wilson, 2001) The Business Model should be flexible to incorporate the different needs of the industry players, e.g. the IT department and the general staff. The system should be flexible to the point of providing outputs for relevant departments that is easy to analyse and incorporate within their organizations. (V. Gruhn and R. Laue, 2006) Conclusion The healthcare environment is a complex area of design and development as it incorporates a lot of market players who interact at various levels to bring about the continued running of the industry at its above par level. The complexity of the industry invites a special approach as far as Business Process Modelling is involved as it incorporates the diversity, security and privacy of the actors. The Business Model should factor in these issues when seeking to analyze the industry with a view to providing relevant output that is to better the industry. Reference List Armistead, C. &. (1996). Managing Business Processes: BPR and Beyond. Chichester: John Wiley. Avison, D. &. ((1995). Information Systems Development: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools. 2nd Edition. London: McGraw-Hil. Barber, K. D. (2003). In ‘Business-process modelling and simulation for manufacturing management: A practical way forward’, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 9, No. 4 (pp. 527-542). Kim Hindle, M. D. (2006). SIMUL8-PLANNER FOR COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING. Proceedings of the 2006 Winter Simulation Conference (pp. 1779-1784). Mississauga, Canada: Visual8 Corporation. Law, A. M. (2006). HOW TO BUILD VALID AND CREDIBLE SIMULATION MODELS. Proceedings of the 2006 Winter Simulation Conference (pp. 58-66). Tucson, Arizona: Averill M. Law & Associates, Inc. Melão, N. F. (2001). IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BUSINESS PROCESS MODELLING AND SIMULATION. Lancaster: Department of Management Science: Portuguese Foundation for Science and. Ruiz F, G. F. (2012). Business Process Modeling in Healthcare. Spain: Institute of Information Technologies and Systems. SIMUL8. (n.d.). Our Products. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from SIMUL8: http://www.simul8.com/ Turrini, D. R. What your next workflow language should look like. Presented at 2nd InternationalWorkshop on Coordination and Organization. V. Gruhn and R. Laue. (2006). Complexity metrics for business process models. 9th International Conference on Business Information Systems. Wilson, P. E. (2001). In Complexity science: Complexity, leadership, and management in healthcare organizations. BMJ. vol. 323 (pp. pp. 746-749). Read More