Application of discrete-event simulation to analyze bottlenecks and improve production line balancing in garment manufacturing: A case study of a small-scale enterprise in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

This study applies discrete-event simulation to analyze operational efficiency and identify bottlenecks in a garment production line at a small-scale enterprise in Ho Chi Minh City. Processing time data from 18 operations were collected, cleaned using Boxplot, and modeled using Input Analyzer. The simulation results identify the pocket strap sewing process as the main bottleneck, causing congestion and imbalance in the production line. Two improvement scenarios, adding specialized workers and task reassignment, were tested and both significantly reduced work-in-progress inventory and improved resource utilization. The study demonstrates that simulation is an effective decision-support tool for small-scale manufacturing systems.
Keywords
discrete-event simulation AnyLogic bottleneck line balancing garment production

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