Large Scale Parametric Value Stream Model of BOXARR

Modern aerospace production systems and their supply chains are notoriously complex, global, and interwoven. The same can be said for many other sectors with highly engineered products. This can be compounded by the trend to dual source, assemble at multiple sites, for multiple customers. Other complications include production of different derivatives on the same assembly lines with a constantly changing rate mix.

This all-places pressure on existing facilities whose site footprint is often constrained, meaning that even storing material awaiting assembly can be challenging, especially if inventory cannot be pushed back to suppliers when a disruption occurs. To make matters even more complicated, it is imperative for businesses to ensure their manufacturing CO2 emissions are reduced.

In response to this, and inspired by the challenges across all BOXARR’s industrial customers, BOXARR’s Chief Solutions Officer, Ian Poccachard, has developed the Large-Scale Parametric Value Stream Model application of BOXARR, and commented:

"We’ve been inspired by some fantastic clients to develop a uniquely scalable value stream mapping capability. We’ve learnt to automate the creation of powerful digital twins that are not only amazing visual representations but are also parametric and quantitative for what if. e.g., for a given production mix, give me a me a good approximation of the parts storage footprint."

The screenshots in this article illustrate several views of a large-scale parametric value stream model application in BOXARR.

nVision: Parametric Supply Chain (with layers) showing workshares, transport modes in the Network View, and flow times and critical path in a Gantt. The layout is by Part Number (a Product dimension). This screenshot also shows BOXARR’s scenario layers in action.

The model is built automatically from ERP and other data or can be developed collaboratively by hand. It’s flexible, scales, is economic, and powerful, letting your organisation understand and optimise its production system, and its supply chain together. It also helps you operate the production system with greater understanding so that everyone understands where the risks, opportunities, and impacts are. The product structure runs through the model, but so do the other dimensions of organisation, commodity group, geography, and others (dimensions are configurable).

nVision: The same model now laid out by Supplier, Plant, and Customer (a Work Centre dimension). A plant’s supply chain characteristics are displayed in a Pivot Table (see area magnified by BOXARR) when its group is collapsed.

The model integrates the value stream map, suppliers, internal plants, your customers, their locations, transport hubs, parts produced, their cost, cycle times, and transport routings. It calculates inventory on the fly (work in progress, expedition and reception stock, and in-transport stock). As rates, workshare, and other parameters are adjusted, the cost, load, and flow attributes on each node in the value stream are recalculated and can be compared with, for example, capacity. Mass and volumes are also recalculated, which in turn drives the transport cost model simultaneously with the other cost, inventory, and critical path calculations. The transport itself can be calculated based on % routine and % critical. Price grids can be loaded.

The user can easily create scenarios, save them, apply them as layers, and then revert to the master model or merge in changes. Complex changes to the topology are handled with sophisticated copy and paste capabilities that are unparalleled, for example, to create duplicate sources, or simulate large work transfers. Transport and other flows are reconnected with ease.

nSight Parametric Supply Chain (showing the End User’s interactive world map view of the same model show with nVision)

With BOXARR you finally can economically do expanded supply chain design, optimisation, and operations in a visually compelling quantitative tool. Scenarios can be played, and the model immediately recalculates itself!

You can trade cost, lead-time, cash & inventory, risk, and other characteristics. This lets you prioritise investment and effort, make smarter purchasing decisions, release cash, and will let you avoid costly mistakes.

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