Title: Improvement through process integration using a simulative, dynamic method

Authors: Marco Mazzola, Enzo Gentili, Francesco Aggogeri

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy

Abstract: The need for globalisation, the saturation and instability of markets, the life-cycle time reduction of products, the growth of item variety, the customer demands have been main factors contributing to a radical change of management conceptions and strategies. This complex environment has induced companies to search the keys to achieve competitiveness, focusing on process integration. The purpose of the paper is to explain how managing the internal functions of a company in an integrated way can lead to an effective improvement. In order to represent the flows and to quantify improvements, a simulative, dynamic and integrated model is developed.

Keywords: process integration; continuous improvement; simulation; dynamic modelling; integrated modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2008.017735

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2008 Vol.14 No.3/4, pp.396 - 409

Published online: 28 Mar 2008 *

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