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Supporting
Manufacturing with Simulation: Model Design, Development, and Deployment
Authors:
Frank Chance
Jennifer Robinson
FabTime Inc. |
John Fowler
Dept. of Industrial and Mgt. Systems Engr.
Arizona State University |
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.This
paper is available in Adobe PDF format. You can download a copy in PDF (61
KB) by right-clicking on this
link. If
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