Like most sectors of the healthcare industry, pharmaceutical settings can often be unpredictable, making it difficult to achieve optimal service quality and efficiency. With the high costs associated with pharmaceuticals, it is important to optimize production and distribution time. Simcad Pro is a sophisticated simulation engine that can be utilized to improve the overall efficiency of a Pharmacy...

ABSTRACT:

The Eaton Cutler-Hammer facility has two separate areas of assembly. Eleven production lines compose the Load Center Assembly Area while 17 production lines compose the Metering/Meter Breaker/ACD Assembly Area. Currently, 11 fork trucks are used in the facility to bring parts from receiving to storage where they can be picked up when needed by the assembly lines. Fork trucks also take packaged goods from finished assembly to shipping. Fork truck drivers are often dedicated to one or two assembly lines in an attempt to meet their every need and to ensure that the assembly process does not incur downtime.

Most improvement initiatives begin with a Value Stream mapping exercise. The value stream map takes into consideration one aspect or product of the operation and analyzes the effect of waste. With a single product with no variations that flows sequentially, a static value stream is adequate. But, when analyzing multiple product interactions, non sequential flows, and the interaction among multiple value streams, the static environment fails. Moreover, static streams do not take into consideration fluctuations in demand, workforce, and other dynamic operational constraints. This patented technology is the first of its kind on the market today.

With rising costs in manufacturing, it is important to make every effort to reduce bottlenecks, improve efficiency and utilize resources fully. Simcad Pro is a sophisticated dynamic simulation engine that can be utilized to improve the overall efficiency of an assembly line. Users of Simcad Pro have experienced increased efficiency, effectiveness and accuracy within their assembly lines, meaning increased profits. Additionally, staff allocation and shifts can be better forecast and analyzed, reducing the overall cost of the operation while increasing utilization of available resources.