| New from Levinson Productivity Systems, P.C. Downloadable Visual Basic program to simulate the matchsticks-and-dice exercise. Output is suitable for display on a computer projector. |
This Java Script program simulates the matchstick experiment in Goldratt and Cox, The Goal. The experiment shows that a "balanced" production line is an illusion. The simulation shows how random variation in a production line with balanced capacity reduces its throughput below the theoretical rate, and causes inventory to collect in the factory. |
For each workstation, a single die is rolled (1-6). The workstation can process that many pieces (if they are available in queue). The station will ship the lesser of the die roll and the number of pieces that are waiting to be processed. For example, if six pieces are waiting and the die roll is 2, the station will ship 2 pieces. If only three pieces are waiting and the die roll is five, the three pieces will be processed and shipped.
Each workstation starts with 4 pieces in stock. Therefore (in theory) the manufacturing line "should" be able to ship an average of 3.5 pieces per turn.
