Evaluating production process improvement strategies: utilizing discrete event simulation and system dynamics approaches in a manufacturing sme /
Ahmad Nazif Bin Noor Kamar,
Evaluating production process improvement strategies: utilizing discrete event simulation and system dynamics approaches in a manufacturing sme / Ahmad Nazif Bin Noor Kamar - xii, 182 pages : illustrations ; 30 cm. + 1 CD-ROM
Faculty of Industrial Management
Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang - 2025
Includes bibliographical references
Global manufacturing continues to evolve under the pressures of intensified competition, rapid technological advancement, and evolving customer expectations. While large firms have re-evaluated and transformed their operations using advanced technologies to improve production efficiency and maintain competitiveness, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face difficulties due to constrained resources. The current work focuses on an SME specializing in aluminium casting products that struggle to meet monthly production targets. A hybrid simulation approach was adopted, combining discrete-event simulation (DES) and system dynamics (SD), to examine both operational inefficiencies and strategic capacity decisions. The DES model replicated the current production process and revealed that a 71% reduction in total production time was necessary to meet existing demand. While, the SD model assessed the long-term impacts of combining improvement strategies, which enabled the SME to potentially expand its capacity to 8,000 units per month. Combining DES and SD provided a comprehensive decision-support framework that addresses both short-term operational issues and long-term strategic planning. The novelty of this study lies in applying a sequential interaction mode of hybrid simulation within a real-world SME manufacturing context, where the output of one simulation model serves as the input for another. This approach allowed for a holistic evaluation of multiple improvement strategies across different decision levels, facilitating scenario-based planning and supporting data-driven decision-making with minimal investment. Future research could apply the proposed hybrid simulation approach across diverse industrial contexts to validate its generalizability and effectiveness. Such efforts would contribute to a broader empirical foundation and strengthen the body of knowledge concerning the scalability, adaptability, and practical application of hybrid simulation methods in implement process improvement.
THE0010348 (Local)
Faculty of Industrial Management--Dissertations
Universities and colleges--Dissertations
Theses--Dissertations
Evaluating production process improvement strategies: utilizing discrete event simulation and system dynamics approaches in a manufacturing sme / Ahmad Nazif Bin Noor Kamar - xii, 182 pages : illustrations ; 30 cm. + 1 CD-ROM
Faculty of Industrial Management
Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang - 2025
Includes bibliographical references
Global manufacturing continues to evolve under the pressures of intensified competition, rapid technological advancement, and evolving customer expectations. While large firms have re-evaluated and transformed their operations using advanced technologies to improve production efficiency and maintain competitiveness, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face difficulties due to constrained resources. The current work focuses on an SME specializing in aluminium casting products that struggle to meet monthly production targets. A hybrid simulation approach was adopted, combining discrete-event simulation (DES) and system dynamics (SD), to examine both operational inefficiencies and strategic capacity decisions. The DES model replicated the current production process and revealed that a 71% reduction in total production time was necessary to meet existing demand. While, the SD model assessed the long-term impacts of combining improvement strategies, which enabled the SME to potentially expand its capacity to 8,000 units per month. Combining DES and SD provided a comprehensive decision-support framework that addresses both short-term operational issues and long-term strategic planning. The novelty of this study lies in applying a sequential interaction mode of hybrid simulation within a real-world SME manufacturing context, where the output of one simulation model serves as the input for another. This approach allowed for a holistic evaluation of multiple improvement strategies across different decision levels, facilitating scenario-based planning and supporting data-driven decision-making with minimal investment. Future research could apply the proposed hybrid simulation approach across diverse industrial contexts to validate its generalizability and effectiveness. Such efforts would contribute to a broader empirical foundation and strengthen the body of knowledge concerning the scalability, adaptability, and practical application of hybrid simulation methods in implement process improvement.
THE0010348 (Local)
Faculty of Industrial Management--Dissertations
Universities and colleges--Dissertations
Theses--Dissertations