Value Stream Mapping Integrated with Discrete Event Simulation for Productivity Improvement of Aluminum Window and Door Production
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Date
2025
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Aluminum window and door manufacturing sector in Ethiopia plays a critical role in supporting the country’s construction and infrastructure development. However, this sector faces several productivity challenges, including long lead times, inefficient resource use, unbalanced workloads, equipment downtime, and limited adoption of modern tools and methods. This research investigates the integration of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) with Discrete Event Simulation (DES) to identify and mitigate these inefficiencies in a real-world manufacturing setting.
A case study was conducted at Vision Aluminum Manufacturing PLC located in Sululta, Ethiopia. The current state production process was mapped using VSM to visualize material and information flow, identify wastes, and propose improvement alternatives. Simphony CYCLONE was used to develop and validate a DES model, which simulated proposed changes before physical implementation. Three improvement scenarios were tested: (1) application of lean tools such as Kanban, 5S, TPM, and cellular manufacturing; (2) strategic upgrades like CNC machine repair and using cutting optimization software; and (3) labor optimization to balance production lines.
Simulation results revealed that Scenario 1 improved productivity by 22.11%, Scenario 2 raised it to 31.96%, and Scenario 3 added a 5.8% gain by optimizing bottlenecks. Combined, the improvements enhanced overall productivity by 49.87%, reducing production time from 6,670.02 to 3,333.51 minutes, increasing the production rate from 0.222 m²/min to 0.386 m²/min, and enhancing labor productivity from 0.579 m²/man-hour to 1.287 m²/man-hour. The study demonstrates that integrating VSM with DES provides a practical, data-driven framework for continuous improvement in aluminum window/door manufacturing. It enables manufacturers to make evidence-based decisions, reduce waste, and optimize operations efficiently.
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Keywords
Productivity, Productivity Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Mapping, Discrete Event Simulation