Import and Overall Flow – Manufacturing

This model object shows how to model a job shop type of system, where entities can flow to any location in any order according to planned routings. The entity carries the routing sequence and production times at the associated locations. The model object only contains five machines but quickly expands to any number of machines and handles unlimited diversity of routings. It provides a method to import the flow from historical information. It shows how to pull data from attributes to feed the routing and timing of the model.

This concept for building allows complex model creation and testing in record time. Our users report 2-day model builds for complicated systems. This method uses a direct import of historical data. This is a superior method for developing a model to answer the questions such as:

  1. What is the production time to complete a schedule if I change or add equipment?
  2. How would production time differ if I changed staffing?
  3. What if I could change set-up times, load or unload times?

This method works because you have historical production schedules, routings showing all locations visited, and production times per part. You also need production results that allows you to verify the as-is model. Changes allow you to see the reduction in production time.

This modeling method is unsuitable for changing the arrival pattern or volume because of direct imports of data and quantity.

Where to Find the Model Object

The following model object will be used to create an import and overall flow to import data into ProcessModel:

  • Arrivals \ Import and Overall Flow – Manufacturing

Difficulty Level

  • Ease of Use: Moderate
  • Ease of Modification: Moderate

How to Use the Model Object

  1. Open Your Model: Open your model or create a new blank model.
  2. Insert the Model Object into Your Model: Locate the appropriate location in your model where you would like to place the model object, move the view to the location and then insert the model object.
  3. Add or Change Locations:
    1. Add and/or change locations. Locations must start with an alpha character. Keep the names short. You should have short names in your database.If you do not wish to add or remove any default locations, skip to step 4.0.
    2. Create routes from the Director activity to any new activity. Duplicate the methods used in the existing red routes.creating new activities in Import and Overall Flow - Manufacturing
    3. Create a route from each activity to the black box activity. Duplicate the methods used in the existing blue routes.creating route to the black box in Import and Overall Flow - Manufacturing
    4. Review and update the action logic at the Director activity. The Director is set up to handle up to 15 locations. If your scenario has more than 15 locations, simply copy/paste the logic to add more locations.
      Ensure that the appropriate attributes, a_Loc#, and a_Time#, are defined through the Define Attributes, Variables & Scenarios window.define avs for Import and Overall Flow
    5. Review the instructions in the action logic at activity Press and enhance the action logic on all activities to account for the new activities added.