Nova Scientia (May 2018)
Case study: Supply chain scenarios in a plastic container company
Abstract
Introducción: The supply chain is an underestimated issue in small and medium enterprises; it is assumed that its only purpose is to save on operating costs and this is not necessarily the case. It is imperative to recognize that not all customers are equal, as each has different requirements for their products and delivery of same to their final customers, and it is therefore important to consider all the factors that influence that outcome. The case study was developed in a company producing plastic containers in Cd. Obregon, Sonora. The study has selected the manufacture of the 737 gr salt container from resin, as this is a product demanded by one of its three main customers. The problem in the plant was the number of salt containers to be produced with different production policies, generating three scenarios. Método: To respond to the problem, a study of the entire production process associated with the links in the supply and distribution was conducted based on the methodology of system dynamics to evaluate each of the variables and parameters included in the links in the supply chain via a simulation. Resultados: The results show three different scenarios that are executed through an interface with the user, allowing to observe the behavior of the profits, the sales of finished product and the use of the resin in the manufacture of bottles of 737 gr for a company that manufactures and distributes salt proposals were validated by drawing upon the judgment of experts on the subject and the experience of employees, as well as the actual data of the company Discusión o Conclusión: The findings reveal different modes of behavior of four critical variables in the process: profits, sales, the finished products warehouse, and resin use. The simulation was performed with the use of Stella ® 10.1.2 software, trying different policies and considering delay and initial inventory theories in processes and final products for the three different proposed scenarios derived from this study to interested parties (employers and customers); the case study was developed within the context of the National Center for Innovation in Intermodal Transportation and Logistics of Mexico.
