APPLICATION OF THE ARENA SOFTWARE IN THE PROCESS OF FRENCH BREAD PRODUCTION IN A BAKERY LOCATED IN THE STATE OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

Abstract

To follow the technological evolution and the increase of market competitiveness, it is necessary to adopt new strategies that contribute in the productive process of a company. In this scenario, the process simulation has become a tool of paramount importance for organizations, enabling an analysis and improvement of processes through a virtual environment. The objective of this paper was to identify the bakery productive capacity of French bread and to analyze the changes made in the process after the product weight reduction. In order to enable this research, data were collected using the chrono-analysis process through visits to the company. The data were processed in the Arena software to simulate the production process and to compare the time consumed for the production before and after the reduction of the bread weight. A comparison of raw material costs was made to identify the most viable process for the organization. Additionally, a questionnaire was applied to the customers of the establishment to verify the degree of satisfaction with the modified product. This study made it possible to verify that the production process carried out after the French bread weight reduction increased production capacity by 30 units per recipe, reduced annual raw material costs by 11.73% and 86.36% of customers are satisfied with the weight of the product offered.