# Decision Support Simulation Method for Process Improvement of Intermittent Production Systems
## 4 Possible Applications of a Decision-Making Simulation Method
The average stock in, stock out and commission efficiency of material handling equipment m can be calculated as follows: \[\mathrm{P_{m}^{i}}=\mathrm{N_{m}^{i}}/\mathrm{T_{m}^{i}},\] (4) where \(\mathrm{i}\in\{\mathrm{SI},\mathrm{SO},\mathrm{CA}\}\) can contain 3 kinds of values depend on the type of the examined operation (Stock In, Stock Out, Commission Activity). \(\mathrm{N_{m}^{i}}\) indicates the number of operations in case of operation type i of the material handling equipment m, while \(\mathrm{T_{m}^{i}}\) shows the length of the examinational period regarding operation type i of material handling equipment m.  
(3). Decision support for determining the actuation of the technological machines: The working properties and efficiency of technological machines to be applied can be difficult to evaluate for intermittent production systems; however, the necessary controls and alterations can be realized using the elaborated simulation investigational method. Most important indicators:  
* The rate of value-added activities: This introduces that what percentage of the assigned technological machine's examinational period is spent on value-added activities. * The rate of waiting: This indicator shows what percentage of the assigned technological machine's examination period is spent on waiting. * The rate of changeover activities: This indicator introduces what percentage of the assigned technological machine's examination period is spent on changeover activities. * The rate of blocking activities: This indicator shows what percentage of the assigned technological machine's examination period is spent on blocking activities (the machine is not able to move the parts to the following station because the station is occupied). * Amount of completed products: This shows how many products were completed during the investigational period by the assigned technological machine. The rate of the value added, waiting, changeover and blocking activities can be calculated as follows:  
\[\mathrm{R_{e}^{j}}=\sum_{o\in\Theta_{e}^{j}}(\mathrm{t_{o}})/\mathrm{T_{e}} \tag{5}\]  
where \(\mathrm{j}\in\{\mathrm{VA},\mathrm{WT},\mathrm{CO},\mathrm{B}\}\) indicates the type of examined operation and \(\Theta_{e}^{j}\) contains the operations of technological machine e regarding operation type j. In addition, \(\mathrm{T_{e}}\) is the length of the examinational period in the case of technological machine e.  
(4). Decision support for determining the application of the human resources. Most important indicators:  
* The rate of value-added activities: This introduces what percentage of the assigned worker's examination period is spent on value-added activities. * The rate of waiting: This indicator shows that what percentage of the assigned operator's examination period is spent on waiting. The rate of changeover activities: This indicator introduces the percentage of the assigned operator's examination period spent on changeover activities. * The rate of blocking activities: This indicator shows the percentage of the assigned operator's examination period spent idle due to blocking activities (the person is not able to move the parts to the following station because of the station's occupation). * Amount of completed products: This shows the number of products completed during the investigational period by the assigned operator.