Build twins!

Factory Twin

Where is production really constrained — and what happens if we change the system?

1 Core Question

What actually limits production — and how can we improve flow without creating a new bottleneck elsewhere?

2 The Business Problem

Factory performance is shaped by interactions that are difficult to understand from isolated KPIs.

Production data often show machine utilisation, downtime, output or OEE separately.

But operational performance depends on how these elements interact.

The slowest machine is not always the real constraint.

And improving one process does not necessarily improve total output.

3 What the Twin Does

It turns the production process into a dynamic operational model.

A Factory Twin represents the flow of products through machines, workstations, labour resources and intermediate queues.

Instead of analysing each production step separately, the model evaluates system-wide consequences.

4 Demonstrated Capabilities

Process-flow modelling

Represent production steps, capacities, processing times and dependencies as a connected manufacturing system.

Bottleneck identification

Identify where queues, utilisation and capacity constraints limit total throughput.

Capacity scenario simulation

Test alternative shifts, machines, production volumes or resource allocations before changing operations.

Disruption and downtime analysis

Estimate how equipment failures, maintenance or process delays propagate through the production system.

5 Blueprint

Required Conditions

Modeling tools

Typical KPIs

Production process or routing information
Workstation or machine identifiers
Processing or cycle times
Production volumes
Capacity or shift information
Product or production-family identifiers

Process-flow modelling
Capacity analysis
Bottleneck analysis
Queueing models
Discrete-event simulation
Scenario optimisation

Throughput
Capacity utilisation
Cycle time
Queue time
Work-in-progress
Machine downtime
Changeover time
Schedule attainment
Bottleneck utilisation
Capacity reserve

6 Decision the Model can support

  • Where is the real production bottleneck?

  • How much additional production can the existing factory absorb?

  • Would an additional machine or shift materially increase throughput?

  • Which process improvement would have the greatest system-wide effect?

  • How much does downtime at a critical machine affect total production?

7 From Factory to Action

Signal

Twin Interpretation

Possible Action

One workstation remains highly utilised while downstream machines are frequently idle

The workstation is likely constraining overall production flow

Increase capacity, reduce processing time or shift work to an alternative resource

Work-in-progress rises without a corresponding increase in output

Material is accumulating faster than the system can process it

Reduce release rates or address the downstream bottleneck

Demand increases but throughput changes very little

Existing capacity is already constrained at a critical process step

Test additional shifts, equipment or alternative routings

Frequent changeovers reduce available production time

Product mix and scheduling are consuming effective capacity

Optimise production sequence or batch sizes