Problem Description Simulation is a widely used tool that helps managers to make decisions. Simulation has shown to be valuable in modeling and analyzing complex processes and systems that cannot be represented using optimization models. In this project we describe how to build a decision support system for a simple manufacturing environment. We use simulation for modeling and analyzing the system. For the purpose of this project, we consider a production facility that has four workstations. In the process of transforming the raw materials into final products, all the workstations are visited sequentially. The inter-arrival time of the raw materials at the facility follows an exponential distribution. The processing time at a particular workstation follows a lognormal distribution. The length of the queue in front of each workstation is limited by the space available. There is an inspector in each workstation. There is a certain probability that a product needs rework or is scrap. Scraps are disposed and the products that need rework are sent back. The aim of this project is to build a model to simulate this facility, verify and validate the model, and analyze the results. For the purpose of analyzing the performance of the system, calculate the average/minimum/maximum queue length in each workstation, the average/minimum/maximum waiting time in each queue, the average throughput, the average number of defects per workstation, the total amount of scrap, etc. For details on how to build a simulation model, verify and validate the model, and analyze the results, we refer the students to Winston (1994) and Law and Kelton (2000). User Interface 1. Build a welcome form. 2. Build a form titled Simulation Model that includes the following: a. A frame titled Inter-arrival Time. The frame includes a combo box that enables the user to choose a distribution (such as exponential, uniform, etc.) for the interarrival time of the raw materials. As the user makes a selection, text boxes appear where the user can type in the parameters of the selected distribution. Insert a text box where the user can type in the batch size. b. A frame titled Processing Time at Workstations. The frame includes four combo boxes. The combo boxes enable the user to pick a distribution for each workstation. As the user makes a selection, text boxes appear where the user can type in the parameters of each distribution. c. A frame titled Probability of Defective Items. The frame includes eight text boxes where the user can type in the probability of scrap and rework at each workstation. d. Three text boxes where the user can type in the total number of iterations, the length of the iteration, and the length of the warm-up period. e. A frame titled Animation. The frame includes a graphical representation of the model.

(we are to use excel and VBA for excel)