SIMUL8 - Process Simulation for Lean and Six Sigma: case studies
SIMUL8 is a useful bit of kit to have in the Lean Six Sigma toolbox. As one of our customers remarked recently I think that some types of analysis are much harder to do with standard 6 sigma tools. As well as providing a better analysis the team really liked being able to "see" what was happening in the simulation, so I think there were clear "soft" benefits from using SIMUL8. The outcome is very much in line with "Lean" drivers such as reducing Work In Progress but Lean has the problem that it is often not quantitative and does take a certain leap of faith to adopt - the simulation helps people "see" how Lean approaches work and allow quantitative prediction of the cycletime reductions achievable. So my opinion is very much that simulation supports Lean and Six Sigma and fills gaps that those valuable methods still have.
Links to various case studies
Design for Six Sigma
Lean Manufacturing
Six Sigma and SIMUL8