PrintSIM is a software simulation tool for the
printing industry
It allows printing plant owners and managers to see the likely effect of major investment decisions like buying a digital press, or adding other capabilities before committing the cash. You can model the effect of changes to key operating assumptions like order intake, run-lengths, make-ready times, waste, and machine downtime on your printing plant’s ability to deliver on time and to make a profit.
PrintSIM uses the same ‘Discrete Event Simulation’ software that large manufacturing companies like Ford and General Motors, and service providers like hospitals and clinics use to model their workflows. But PrintSIM has been created specifically for printing plants.
➤ Decision Support for Print Service Providers and others
➤ Better for modeling than Excel™
➤ Graphical: Easier to envision
➤ Stochastic: Deals with uncertainty/variability
➤ Adapts to multiple scenarios
➤ De-risks workflow changes and new investments
PrintSIM Models
PrintSIM Standard
Print SIM Standard allows users to make a direct comparison between traditional analog printing methods (offset, flexo, gravure, etc), and stand-alone or hybrid digital printers, using a simplified process flow. Users can vary key parameters like run-lengths, number of jobs/day, set-up times and so on, and see the effects on productivity and financial results.
PrintSIM Custom
PrintSIM Custom is a consulting service in which PrintSIM consultants will analyze the current workflow and production data.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that need to be optimized are agreed upon, then we create and test a model using this data. We will run the model with different operating assumptions to explore the effects of changes to work patterns, investments or manufacturing conditions, A complete report is compiled with the results of different scenarios on the KPIs.
WHY SIMULATE
✓ It’s cheaper, faster and safer than using real-life systems for testing
✓ Creates scenarios for decision support with low cost and risk
✓ Model capital investments decisions before commitments are made
✓ Evaluate changes to shift patterns / labor usage
✓ Potential bottleneck processes and resources can be more easily identified
✓ Model changes to customer behavior or market dynamics and predict likely effects on profitability
✓ Supports process improvement initiatives like Lean Six-Sigma and Theory of Constraints, etc.
CAN'T I JUST USE EXCEL?
✕ You cannot visualize jobs running through the system in a spreadsheet
✕ Excel spreadsheet models typically do not allow for variation (e.g. a distribution of job arrival times or run-lengths)
✕ Simulation software is more flexible – easy to make changes to the process