Abstract for: Hybrid Simulation for Scenario Planning in the Management of USACA Craft Brewery

Craft beer in Colombia is experiencing strategic growth, driven by the demand for natural products. USACA Brewery, a spin-off from Santiago de Cali University, aims to double its market share but faces capacity limitations and production bottlenecks compared to dominant competitors. Using simulation software like Vensim and Arena, this research proposes optimizing brewing and fermentation processes to expand installed capacity. This work focuses on decision-making under uncertainty for an academic spin-off. It combines a methodological approach based on Hybrid Simulation with continuous system dynamics and discrete-event modeling. This integration provides a dynamic view of the business while examining operational details, such as bottlenecks and queues, to evaluate and validate improvement scenarios before their physical implementation. The results indicate that the transition from a push to a pull model, together with the installation of a new cooking system and the individualization of tanks, improves productivity. The concurrent application of capacity and inventory policies, validated through hybrid models, enables a doubling of production. These improvements reduce bottlenecks, allowing installed capacity to respond effectively to increased demand without increasing operating costs. The success of Cervecería USACA as a spin-off lies in integrating interdisciplinary research with advanced simulation (Vensim and Arena). Unlike isolated approaches, this study demonstrates that process synchronization is vital for competing in a market dominated by large companies. The evidence suggests that the application of concurrent operational policies for processes, capacity, and inventory are strategic pillars for scaling production under conditions of uncertainty. Language editing and abstract refinement.