The following article appears in the current edition of the Australian Journal of MiningPrototyping has long been an integral part of product design and development. Now it is increasingly being used to prototype more complex systems, such as manufacturing and service delivery models. Advances in process modeling technology are enabling firms to model their existing production facilities and systems, and experiment with potential process improvements.Mike Percy, Managing Director at ideas*, an engineering consultancy based in Australia, acknowledges that analysis of a dynamic system such as a production or service environment is inherently difficult. Dealing with multiple products, various inefficiencies across processes and equipment are well beyond the ability of a spreadsheet or similar tools to manage efficiently and transparently.“In the past physical prototyping was the only way to see if something was actually going to work,” said Mike, “but now we help our clients see the benefits of making changes early in the process, using advanced computer technology and internal expertise.”Process modeling is a highly effective tool for continuous improvement, complementing other improvement efforts such as lean manufacturing or six sigma. Newer software and techniques combined with a broad operations experience across a range of industries, allows ideas* to create a robust model which can quickly determine the impact of any system changes such as new equipment, process redesign, or changes to the product mix.Not only is process modeling an effective continuous improvement tool but it also allows firms to prototype the effect of major changes to their production systems. “With process modeling we can see that small changes can have big impacts, both positive and negative,” said Mike, “Our job is to eliminate the negative ones and refine the system or process until we arrive at an optimal solution.”Many of the large multi-national companies are adopting advanced process improvement techniques, but most of the companies on the next level down are yet to fully realise the benefits.Mike said: “When you’re processing and handling raw materials in exponential quantities every day, the results of a process modeling exercise can be quite astounding.”To find out more about ideas* process modelling offering visit our website, or contact us direct.