Logistics management as a system constraint

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative simulation model of several logistic systems and their impact on operational performance. It stresses the importance of logistic processes and their management in the context of lean production and the theory of constraints. The main goal of our experimental study is to prove how significantly supporting logistic processes can influence production process performance in situations where logistic management represents a system constraint. More specifically, our study considers the capacity of handling units, and their impact on material flow continuity and efficiency. The experimental model is based on real data that was acquired by the authors over the last several years during their research and practical experience. Our results are presented in the form of software statistics that were provided after the experiment and compared with the set hypotheses. The experimental study has shown that a managerial decision to increase the capacity of handling units does not always result in the expected behaviour pattern. © 2017, Czestochowa University of Technology. All rights reserved.