Insights
Simulation insights for lines, buffers and supply chains
Problems we see again and again in plants and supply chains, why the usual math misses them, and what a model shows instead.
Production lines
How much buffer does a line need as variability grows?
More buffer can mean more output, up to a point. How to find the knee, and when fixing a stop beats buying buffer.
Read the articleProduction lines
When the bottleneck moves
Package size, mix and schedule can move the constraint. Why static capacity math misses it, from a coffee plant that found out.
Read the articleSupply chain
Why the EOQ answer misleads run-length decisions
EOQ weighs changeovers against carrying cost and leaves out forecast error and misallocation, where long runs get expensive.
Read the articleSupply chain
The full-truckload rule that created its own safety stock
Safety stock meant for demand swings was really covering lumpy supply, caused by the company's own shipping rule.
Read the articleMethod
Discrete rate vs. discrete event on a 1,000-a-minute line
When to model a high-speed line as flow, when to track every item, and when a plant needs both.
Read the articleTell us your problem
What would happen if you changed it?
Describe the decision in front of you. We'll tell you whether a model can answer it, and what it would take.
- A straight answer on whether simulation is the right tool
- Which tool fits, even if it isn't one we use every day
- A rough scope and timeline, before any commitment