Modelling dynamic value streams in support of process design and evaluation

To remain competitive, most manufacturing enterprises (MEs) need cost-effective and responsive business processes with capability to realise multiple value streams specified by changes in customer needs. Models of MEs can play a critical role in enabling enhanced enterprise process and systems design and change based on analysis of their performance, and ongoing management and control of their operation. Typical models of MEs can provide reusable computational representations of organisational structures, processes, information, resources and related value flows in an enterprise. This paper presents a dynamic modelling approach to value stream mapping which enhances current best practice when reasoning about changing process and resource systems requirements. Here, coherent use of enterprise and simulation modelling techniques were deployed to develop value streams of a case study enterprise which is a make-to-order furniture manufacturing SME. The paper explains how models created during the modelling stages were validated and reused as a basis for informed SME decision making in relation to product realisation strategies and related organisation design and change decisions and actions.