Distributed by Network Dynamics, Inc.

MPX MPX is a powerful modeling software built to represent elaborate queue process. It has been created to be used either in a production environment or a service corporation. It focus on production and delivery lead time, “Work In Progress” items and actual capacity.

MPX strengths People using MPX don’t need any strong prerequisites concerning queue process theory. Easy to use but surprisingly effective.

MPX strengths Dynamic model, changes, possibility to compare different proposed results. Easy and quick to elaborate a model; provide a detailed formulation to the user. Stick to the real world : ability to use sequential queues, recursive effects (possibility to make defective items re-enter the process,…) which aren’t include in the classic analysis of queues.

Extended possibilities - Strengths MPX allows its users to analyse multiple-products process under various constraints (capacity, number of workers, etc.). The analysis is applicable to every level of the production process: Possibility to give details about products, to elaborate their respective Bill Of Material, so, to incorporate all the steps included in the production process.

Display of results - Strengths Results are presented under multiple and printable formats to make the analysis and the interpretation easier (charts, …). Furthermore, the software can predict the expected behavior of a process on the mid-long run.

Why to use MPX? It is crucial for a firm to aim to reduce lead time in an environment, which doesn’t cease being more and more competitive, if it wants to keep a substantial advantage against the others competitors on the market. Success only belongs to firms that will be able to react effectively to the specific needs of their customers!

MPX is for you because … It provides to you an effective and quick reaction. It makes the identification of issues much easier and that, through any level of the production process. It helps you to analyse operations in order to find solutions for improving lead time, production, effectiveness and operational efficiency. It shows you an overview of what really goes on in your production unit. So you will be quick enough to identify issues and to solve them.

Practical insights

Insight - Inputs Select Input The windows allow to define inputs: global data, number of workers, equipment features and products.

Input – Global Data Select Time Units: minutes for operations length, year for production period. Select Time Unit Conversions: 480min/day, 210days/year.

Inputs – Advanced Parameters Possibility: To set an upper utilization limit To specify variability to stick to the real situation

Inputs – Workers Data on the features of the group of workers: number of workers in a group, their name, their utilization, etc.

Legends - Workers Number of workers assigned to group Overtime hours in % % Time unavailable (rest, breaks)‏ Comment

Inputs - Equipments Data on the features of equipments and the workers assigned to them.

Legends - Equipments Equipment type Number of equipment assigned to group Overtime hours in % Mean Time between two failures Mean Time to repair Labor assigned to equipment

Inputs - Products Data on the features of the different products: name, end demand, lot size, …

Legends - Products End Demand Lot size Comment

Production Process Routing Specify the routing of the product through the different steps of the production process.

Important Detail Possibility to configure a redo of the defective items. Ex: percentage routed 95% for the following operation, and 5% for the previous one. Advantage of recursive effects.

Inputs – Bill Of Materials Specify the nomenclature of each product concerned. “Pièce Métallique” (10mm) including 4 items of “Support” and 1 item of “Douille”.

Inputs – Bill Of Materials II Build an IBOM structure. The arrows, > allow to add or delete one or many compiling items of a product.

Model Activation Full Calculate: to visualize results Product inclusion: to include only selected products in the process Optimization possibility: Maximization of the throughput “Lot size” range classification of results (automatically done by MPX)‏ Optimization of lot sizes and transfer batches

Results - Equipments The results for utilization are displayed under different formats.

Legends –Equipments Results Possibility: To split utilization time of equipment for a more accurate analysis To analyse equipment time assigned to the different steps of the production process Worker Waiting Time Repairing Time Setup Time Processing Time

Results Interpretation Possibility: To set maximal utilization to a determinate level To identify equipment utilization going beyond this level Max Utilization

Results - Workers Here is an example of the display screens concerning results for workers.

Legends – Workers Results Max Utilization Unavailable Time Processing Time Setup Time

Results - Products Quantity of each manufactured product Finished product Items used in production Defective items Defective products

Products In The Production Process Products flow through production process Wait for Equipment Wait for Worker Equipment Setup Equipment Run Wait for Rest of Lot Out of area

Results – WIP Chart WIP : Work In Process. The total number of products stuck in the whole production flow.

Results - Summary Possibility to have a summarized overview of all the different results

What-If What would change if we add a worker to the production line? Possibility to compare different optional situations in changing the base case model without erasing it.

What-If Evaluation I Possibility to compare diverse what-ifs through a single window. Quick detection of changes related to the decisions that were previously made.

What-If Evaluation II Possibility to notice consequences due to changes instantly after they have been configured by the user. Note: possibility to compare more than two what-ifs. Base Case What-If Utilization upper limit

Production Evaluation

Product Flow Evaluation

WIP Chart Evaluation

What-Ifs Evaluation - Summary Possibility to compare the different summarized results related to each what-if.

Model Extension - Formulas A Formulas Builder is included in the software. This tool helps the user to build equations able to make the resolution of complicated situations easier. In the section Operations/Routing Input Data, the user only needs to double-click on a range of numerical data to open the Formulas window.

Using Formulas I Oper1,… Oper4 allow to build equations for the section Operations/Routing in using parameters from other screens, i.e. General, Labor, Equipment et Product The formulas allow to build an equation to calculate the utilization time of the cell. With the formulas, the user can look up any parameters from other screens and data on « Product » like Demand, Lot Size, Transfer Batch Size and Variabiliy simply by clicking on the right thing in the Formulas Builder.

Using Formulas II Notes: When we use a parameter, MPX will use the value assigned to Product, Equipment or Labor related to this current operation. For example: If we use Eq1 in the Formulas Editor, MPX will look for the value of Eq1 concerning the specific Equipment assigned to this operation. Equations may be used for cells like Operation Times, % Assigned and Percent Routed from the Operations/Routing screen. The user can rename the parameters to make the use easier. For example, if Gen1 doesn’t make sense. However, if we rename Gen1 by Scrap%, so this parameter will represent the percentage of scrapped products; to rename a parameter, the user has to do it through Input / Parameter Names. Once the names will be changed, the model will be automatically updated. When we use an equation, the screen will firstly show the equation. However, in clicking on « View Actual Times » the screen will show the value of the cell instead. In this mode, we cannot edit any data directly on the screen. In that purpose, the user must click on « Edit Operation Times » to come back to the mode in which the changes of content within cells are allowed.

Example Of Formula ‘‘IIF“ The “IIF” function tests an expression and returns to the first associated one if the expression is “true” and to the second one if it is “false”. Ex.: If the size of the lot exceeds 500, so Equipment Run Time is 2.22 minutes; otherwise, it is 2.5 minutes.

Example Of Formula ’’SWITCH’’ The “Switch” function tests different expressions in a logical order and returns to the value associated to the first of these expressions which will be “true”. Ex.: If Eq1 > 2, the function returns to 17, if Eq2 4, it returns to 10. The construction of such an equation has to be done in order to make the formula return to a value in any cases.

Print / Export MPX gives the opportunity: To print the results To export and use them through different other softwares: Access...

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