A Case Study of Production Improvement by Using Lean with Simulation Modeling

The aim of this research is to study the effect of the shift from the traditional style of production to the application of modern techniques of lean in one of the old Iraqi industries to improve the flow of production and demand processing by reducing line intersections with optimal usage of available facilities. Value stream mapping, (VSM) have been used to represent the production flow line. Therefore, two VSMs have been drawn, one to represent the current or actual status of the production flow line and the other to represent the modified-status after eliminating most of the identified wastes (non-value activities). ARENA software has used to develop the simulation models, with applying pull system of lean tools for the modified status instead of the push system that has used in the traditional style of production. Thus, numbers of add values (AV) have been obtained over several periods of runtime for the designed simulation models. According to those add values, the modified status model proved that a reduction in work-in-process (WIP) by 52% at both of inventory and process levels could be obtained, in addition to other important results, which have been verified.

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