BurbidgeShort Simulation Software Case Study
Company: BurbidgeShort
A Model Investment - Simulation is not just for Large Companies
Production Modelling a leading UK based provider of simulation, planning and scheduling software and consultancy, would like to congratulate Burbidge & Son Ltd. on its exceptional application of the ProModel Simulation Software, for which it has also been recognised, as a highly commended case study, by MCS magazine.
With all businesses continually striving to meet new market demands and improve performance, change has become a way of life. However, trying new ideas out in an operational environment - be it the shop floor, warehouse or office - can take time, be disruptive, and be very costly, especially if they do not work first time. Similarly, few companies can afford for new equipment investments to fail to deliver the anticipated benefits. The solution, which is now being adopted by companies of all sizes, and from industries as diverse as general manufacturing to pharmaceutical and food processing, is to first experiment using ProModel.
Burbidge, an established manufacturer of high-quality kitchens and SME, has found that using its ProModel system to fully assess proposed production processes changes, and investigate investment decisions, delivers very real benefits; eliminating many of the potential risks and significantly improving decision making. And, despite ProModel being one of the most advanced systems in the field of dynamic simulation modelling, the software has proven extremely cost effective and easy to use.
As Graham Heaven, Burbidge's financial director, observes, "Too often companies still make process change or investment judgements based on gut feel, or extremely simplified and inaccurate assessments, and then wonder why these changes fail to meet expectations. Yet, as we have found, the tools for enabling important operational decisions to be based on realistic data are now readily available, easy to use, and require only a relatively small investment - especially compared to the cost of getting it wrong."
It doesn't matter what size of company they are, simulation should be an integral part of their decision making process, whether it's operational – e.g. adding new machines, changing layouts, extending the factory or warehouse, introducing new products, introducing new production methods, re-engineering a process, etc., etc. or strategic – e.g. can a capital investment be justified, will it produce desires performance improvement? How can we streamline our supply chain?
The cost of simulation is minimal compared to the benefits, and rapid return on investment, and increasingly, companies cannot afford to run the risk of making bad decisions. It's common sense really – you have to ask - why wouldn't you use simulation before making operational and strategic decisions?
