Simulation at Digital Equipment Corporation: the process expert as simulation expert

Manufacturing process simulation has long been the domain of mathematicians, operations researchers, and consultants; a relatively small, exclusive group of expert practitioners. Consensus has held that only these individuals can successfully practice the craft of simulation. This thinking persists, even today. There are still many manufacturers who believe they can not apply simulation techniques to their operations without prohibitive investments in time, personnel, and money. To most manufacturers, a simulation project requires hiring a simulation expert as a consultant. Certainly, there are occasional situations in which the easiest, most cost effective solution is to employ an external consultant to perform the required analysis. Perhaps time constraints do not allow for the evaluation, justification, and training required to bring a tool in-horse. However, as global competition increases and manufacturing moves toward the twenty first century, the practice of hiring consultants must become the exception rather than the rule. The use of simulation and other analytical tools must become standard operating procedure if a manufacturer is to survive. This requires fundamental changes in the way we do business. There are several risks inherent in the practice of hiring consultants to perform analyses: the process is enormously time consuming because the consultant must set out to gather critical data with the possibility of having no understanding of the process(es) in question. This drives up project cycle times and, therefore, costs. And, because the consultant may have an inadequate understanding of the system, the study can easily fail to generate viable, dependable results. Simply stated, a simulation study is only as good as the data upon which it is based. Finally, the consultant walks out the door, taking with him all of the hands-on understanding of the project. It is at this point that the cycle perpetuates itself. The technology has not been transferred into the firm in this example, it has merely been visited upon it. In this paper, the authors will discuss the program that is being used at Digital Equipment Corporation (Maynard, MA) to facilitate the transfer of simulation and other like technologies into the hands of the people who can make the best use of them — our manufacturing personnel. Further, we will discuss how the relationship between manufacturing industries and the aforementioned traditional practitioners of simulation can and must evolve. This evolution is critical to United States' industry remaining competitive in the exploding global marketplace.