Case Study:
Workshop Performance Audit
Case Study:
Workshop Performance Audit
Client Challenge
Operators of a state-of-the-art, semi-automated workshop and warehouse facility that was designed and built to safely and efficiently maintain iron ore rail cars.
This operation services a substantial fleet of rail cars that transport iron ore across vast distances in Western Australia. The ore car maintenance facility makes up a crucial part of the Western Australian Iron Ore value chain.
In recent years, the facility has faced ongoing challenges in achieving throughput targets, despite improvement efforts. As a result, this facility has been a key constraint across the value chain. Seeking a solution, the client reached out to BSC to develop a Discrete Event Simulation of the repair shop, in order to:
- identify bottlenecks,
- quantify true capacity,
- test improvement initiatives,
- and assess performance variations.
Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is well suited to modelling complex operations to diagnose the root causes of underperformance, evaluate practical alternatives to drive continuous improvement, or support strategic initiatives – all in a risk-free digital environment.
The Solution
- A DES of the maintenance facility was built, focusing on the interaction between the flow of incoming ore cars and the complex dynamics of the autonomous guided vehicles that move parts around.
- Once configured and validated, the simulation was used to identify key improvement areas related to the availability of spares and automated guided vehicle delays.
- In addition to this, a novel Station Delay Dashboard was constructed to visualize deviations between potential, planned and actual operational performance.
Solution Value
Using the simulation, BSC was able to provide an improvement agenda and a view of performance deviations. These initiatives help to close the gap between the workshop’s operational capacity and its actual performance and could lead to a revenue increase of up to USD 24 million per annum.