Abstract for: A System dynamics simulation model for scalable-capacity manufacturing systems

This research presents a system dynamics SD approach to model and analyze a single stage scalable manufacturing system. The system is exposed to a random demand that is assumed to follow a normal distribution pattern. The main contribution, in this paper, is adding new modules to the existing state of the art of capacity scalability management, in order to bring it near to reality. The proposed modules allow for costs evaluation, scaling capacity on seasonal basis, and applying system breakdowns. A full-fledged simulation model (attached as supplementary material) was developed and tested using Vensim DSS. Two capacity scaling policies are presented, and used to study the effect of the new modules on the system's performance -- where capacity level, inventory level, backlog level and costs are the measures of the system's performance. The results show system dynamics ability to model real conditions that face capacity scaling planners, and present the actual effect of system breakdowns on facility performance. Moreover, this study investigates the impacts of applying seasonal capacity scaling on scalable systems.