OPTIMIZATION OF INTERNAL LOGISTICS USING A COMBINED BPMN AND SIMULATION APPROACH

Abstract

The optimization of material flow systems requires a profound understanding of the underlying processes. Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is an established way of creating a process model that allows an interdisciplinary analysis and optimization. Quantitative exploration of systems using discrete-event simulation can help to enrich these insights. For that reason, this paper introduces a combined BPMN-simulation approach that connects the advantages of both modeling frameworks. By synthesizing systems from generic modules, a comprehensive yet structured optimization process chain is developed. A case study evaluation based on key metrics for material flow operations proves the applicability of the methodology.