Value stream mapping simulation using ProModel® software

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a tool that has been used in lean manufacturing to redesign production systems in several industrial sectors. As part of lean principles, the VSM is a pictorial technique used to identify several kinds of wastes existing in the manufacturing floor and enables an easy way to visualize possible alternatives to eliminate them. The company considered for the research is a traditional manufacturer of industrial gearboxes and auto parts, who has been using the VSM to locate and eliminate wastes for a family of products. This paper proposes the utilization of ProModel^® 7.0 software as a simulation tool to build-up and evaluate several alternatives for the future state value stream map (FSVSM). As a result it was possible to conclude that simulation represents a valuable strategy to obtain an optimized solution for the FSVSM, as it allows the analysis of several alternatives and many manufacturing indicators.