RockwellAutomation

ArenaSimulationStudentContest2016
TheRockwellDuckFarmSupplyChain
ProjectOverview
RockwellistheleaderinduckproductionintheEasternpartoftheUnitedStates.Rockwellis
knowninternationallyforprovidingthebestducksintheworld.Salesofducksexceeded$1
billionenoughtofeedover16millionaverageconsumersannually.Today,Rockwellsduck
operationemploysabout1,500employees.Contractingwithproductionpartnersabout150
familyfarmersacrosstheEasternU.S.thecompanysellsabout5millionliveducksannually.
Thebuyersarepackingplantsandfoodproducerswithnationallyrecognizednames.
Rockwelloperateswithasinglelargeregion.Rockwellwantstounderstandifitscurrentnumber
ofassets(farms)willsatisfyfuturedemand.Asimulationstudyofthesystemisbeingproposed.

Rockwellwouldliketoseehowmanyadditionalassets,ifany,arerequiredtomeet
demandexpectations.
Thesystemisdefinedbythedemandfromthepackingplantsandtheproduction
capacityofthefarms.
Thesystemvariablesincludepackerplantdemandschedules,weeklyoutputoftheduck
breedingfarms,healthstatusoftheducks,capacityofthefinishingfarms,andthelogic
requiredtodefinethemovementofducks.
Specificperformancemetricsdefinedbelowwillbeusedtodeterminetheeffectiveness
ofvarioussystemconfigurations.

Rockwelliscurrentlyseekingtoevaluatetheperformanceoftheassets.Themainobjectiveisas
follows:

Themodelwillbeusedtoevaluatechangestothenumberoffixedassetswithinthe
systeminordertoimproveefficiencyandmeetdemand.

Currently,spreadsheetsaretheprimarytoolusedfordesignandreconfigurationwithin
Rockwell.However,Rockwellrequiresamoredynamictooltoassistwithweektoweekforecast
planning.Simulationwouldaccountfortherandomnatureoftheprocessesandprovidean
understandingofhowsystemperformancemetricsareaffectedovertimeundervariousasset
configurationsandvolumes.
Rockwellhasrequesteddevelopmentofasimulationmodeloftheirfarmingoperation.The
followingdocumentdescribesindetailthesystemtobemodeled.

ProcessOverview
OverallSystem
ThesystemtobemodeledstartswithhatchlingduckscomingfromHatchingFarmsatagiven
weeklyoutputrate.ThehatchlingsthentraveltoaGrowth/FinishFarmbaseduponavailability
ofafarm.HatchlingsthattraveltotheGrowth/FinishFarmstayforapproximatelytenweeks,at
whichtimeabout50%aremovedtoaFinishOnlyFarmasfledglings.Theremainingfledglings
stayattheGrowth/FinishFarmuntiltheyleaveasmarketducks.
ThefledglingsthatmovefromaGrowth/FinishFarmtotheFinishOnlyFarmremainattheFinish
OnlyFarmuntiltheyleaveasmarketducks.Thefollowingfigureshowsthehighlevel
productionprocess.

HatchingFarm

Hatchling
Ducks

Growth/Finish
Farm

Market
Ducks

Market

Fledgling
Ducks

FinishOnly
Farm

Market
Ducks

Itisexpectedthatthesimulationoftheduckmovementwilloccurforaminimum5yeartime
periodinordertofullyexaminesystemoperation.Operationsaremanagedonaweekbyweek
basis(calendarisadvancedbyweeks,notdays).

HatchingFarms
Therearecurrentlyabout75HatchingFarmsinthesystemwhichproduceatotalof
approximately100,000hatchlingduckseachweek.EachHatchingFarmhasexpected
productiononaweeklybasis.AcollectionofseveralHatchingFarmsmakeupaFlow.The
combinedproductionofaFlowiskepttogetherasmuchaspossibleasitmovesthroughthe
downstreamprocesses.HatchlingswithinaFlowfindanavailablesitedownstream
(Growth/FinishFarm)andtransportbytrucktothatsiteuntilthesiteisfull.Thisusuallytakes2
weeksormore.Iftheselecteddownstreamsitecannotaccepttheentireweeklyoutputfrom
theFlow,anotherGrowth/FinishFarmmustbeselectedtoaccepttheremaininghatchlings.
Forexample:HatchingFarm#1andHatchingFarm#2sendshatchlingsforFlowAata
combinedrateof2500perweek.Thedestinationlocationhasspacefor8000hatchlings.
HatchingFarms#1and#2send2500inweek1,2500inweek2,2500inweek3,and

then500inweek4totheoriginaldestination.Anotherdestinationmustbefoundfor
theremaining2000hatchlingsinweek4sproduction.
MixinghatchlingsfromdifferentFlowsatGrowth/FinishFarmsisundesirableandwillnotbe
allowedforthissimulation.
SometimestheproductionofaparticularHatchingFarmisaffectedbyahealthcondition.Of
primaryconcernisDRRS(duckreproductiveandrespiratorysyndrome).Thesehatchlingsmust
bekeptseparatefromtheregular,healthyproductionoftherestoftheFlow.Itisassumedthat
productionataHatchingFarmwillsampleapercentagelikelihoodeachweektodetermineif
hatchlingshaveahealthcondition.Whenahealthconditionoccurs,hatchlingsfromthis
HatchingFarmareseparatedoutfromtheirregularFlowandmustfindtheirownavailable
Growth/FinishFarmsothattheydonotriskinfectingtherestofthehatchlingpopulation.The
likelihoodofahealthconditionvariesbasedupontheannualquarterinwhichitoccurs.Whena
healthconditionoccurs,itpersistsforagivennumberofweeksandincursadefinedamountof
productionlossforeachweekofitsduration.Whenfindingadownstreamsitetoflowto,these
hatchlingsmustgotoanemptysitewheretheycanbeisolatedfromother,healthy,hatchlings.
TransportationofhatchlingsbetweentheHatchingFarmsandGrowth/FinishFarmsisassumed
tobebytruck.EachweekaspecifiednumberofhatchlingswillbemovedfromtheFlowtothe
Growth/FinishFarmandthatvolumewillbedividedbytheaveragenumberofhatchlingsper
truckinordertodeterminethenumberoftruckloadsmovedthatweek.Adistancematrix
definesthemilesbetweenacentralpointofaFlowslocationtoaparticularGrowth/Finish
Farm.
Rockwellcurrentlyrunsseveralgeneticportfoliosforducks,howeverthiswillbeconsideredto
beoutsidethescopeofthesimulationmodel.Forpurposesofthesimulation,geneticsare
assumedtoallbethesame.Genderoftheduckswillnotbeconsideredandwillnotimpact
growthratesoftheducks.
Growth/FinishFarms
AGrowth/FinishFarmisahatchlingtomarketsite.Therearecurrentlyabout230Growth/Finish
Farmsinthetotalsystem.Thesesitesaccepthatchlingsuntilfullatanoverloadedlevel
(expressedasanumberofducks).Theacceptanceofhatchlingsoccursoverthecourseof
severalweeks.Therefore,asinglesitecontainsducksatdifferentagesintheirgrowthcycle.
Hatchlingsgrowtobecomefledglings.Becauselargerducksmeantheyrequiremorespace,ata
specifiedpointintheirgrowththeducksmustbethinnedoutatthesitetotakethesitedownto
anormalcapacitylevel.
Forexample,aGrowth/FinishFarmmayhavecapacitytohold18537hatchlingducksat
itsoverloadedcapacity.However,astheducksgrowandrequiremorespace,the
sitescapacityofduckschangestonormalcapacityof8178ducks.Thisoccurswhen
theoldestducksatthesitereachthinningage.Atthispointintime,thecapacity

differenceof10359ducksmustbemovedfromtheGrowth/Finishsitetoanavailable
FinishOnlysite.
ThinnedfledglingsaresenttoaFinishOnlyFarmtofinishgrowing.Thefledglingsremainingat
theGrowth/Finishsitecontinuetogrowuntiltimetomarketthem.Oncetheoldestducksata
sitereachmarketsizeat22weeksofage,thesitestartssendingmarketduckstothe
Packer/Plant.Allducksatthesitearemarketedtotheappropriatepackingplant.Marketing
occursoverthecourseof6weeks,withadefinedpercentageoftheducksatthesitebeingsent
tomarketeachweekuntilthesiteisemptied.Atthistimetheweeklyandoverallmileage
betweentheGrowth/FinishandFinishFarmstotheassignedPackerplantisupdated.
Oncetheducksareallmarketedandthesiteisemptied,thesitemustundergocleaning.Acycle
isoneturnofthesite.Aturnstartswiththearrivalofthefirsthatchlingstoanemptyand
availablesiteandendswhenthesiteisemptiedofducksgoingtomarketandcleaned.Atotal
turncurrentlytakesabout26weeks.
Growth/FinishFarmsturnonatimebasis.AtGrowth/FinishFarms,hatchlingshavex%growth
baseduponthetimetheystayed.Eachfarmhasauniquethindowntime(forexample,10
weeks).
Forexample:AGrowth/FinishFarmstartsfillinginweek1andfinishesfillinginweek4.
Witha10weektargetthindown,ducksstartmovingoutinweek10.Approximately
halfofthesitesvolumewouldbethinneddowninweek10,whichmeansthatducks
thatenteredinweek3andweek4(theyoungestducksatthesite)arebeingmoved.
Assumethatducksfromweek1andweek2areleftonsite.
TransportationofducksbetweentheGrowth/FinishFarmandeitherFinishOnlyFarmsor
Packer/Plantsisassumedtobebytruck.WhenducksaremovedfromtheGrowth/FinishFarm,
thatvolumewillbedividedbytheaveragenumberofduckspertruckinordertodeterminethe
numberoftruckloadsmovedthatweek.Adistancematrixdefinesthemilesbetweena
particularGrowth/FinishFarmandtheFinishOnlyFarmorPacker/Plant.
EveryweektheyardagecostsateachoftheGrowth/FinishFarmsiscalculatedandbrokeninto
thefollowingcategories:Empty,Full,andOverload.Thesecategoriesarecalculatedasshown
below:
FullPercentage=Numberofducksatthefarm/Capacityofthefarm

IftheFullPercentageislessthan1,twocostsarecapturedandreported:
o FullCost=WeeklyYardagecostforthatfarm*FullPercentage
o EmptyCost=WeeklyYardagecostforthatfarm*(1FullPercentage)
IftheFullPercentageequals1:
o FullCost=WeeklyYardagecostforthatfarm
IftheFullPercentageisgreaterthan1:
o OverloadCost=WeeklyYardagecostforthatfarm

SinceyardagecostisoneoftheprimarymetricsfortheRockwellDuckFarmSystem,notonly
areweeklyyardagecostsimportant,butanoverallmetricisalsoimportant.
FinishOnlyFarms
AFinishOnlyFarmtakesinfledglingsfromtheGrowth/FinishFarmsandgrowsthemtomarket
size.Therearecurrently316FinishOnlyFarmsinthetotalsystem.Thesesitesacceptducksuntil
full(expressedasanumberofducks).Theacceptanceofducksoccursoverthecourseofseveral
weeks.Therefore,asinglesitecontainsducksatdifferentagesintheirgrowthcycle.Oncethe
oldestducksatasitereachmarketsizeat22weeksofage,thesitestartssendingmarketducks
tothePacker/Plant.Allducksatthesitearemarketedtotheappropriatepackingplant.
Marketingoccursoverthecourseof6weeks,withadefinedpercentageoftheducksatthesite
beingsenttomarketeachweekuntilthesiteisemptied.Atthistimetheweeklyandoverall
mileagebetweentheGrowth/FinishandFinishFarmstotheassignedPackerplantisupdated.
Oncethesiteisemptied,thesitemustundergocleaning.Acycleisoneturnofthesite.Aturn
startswiththearrivalofthefirstduckstoanemptyandavailablesiteandendswhenthesiteis
emptiedofducksgoingtomarketandcleaned.
TransportationofducksbetweentheFinishOnlyFarmandthePacker/Plantisassumedtobeby
truck.WhenducksaremovedfromtheFinishOnlyFarm,thatvolumewillbedividedbythe
averagenumberofduckspertruckinordertodeterminethenumberoftruckloadsmovedthat
week.AdistancematrixdefinesthemilesbetweenaparticularFinishOnlyFarmandthe
associatedPacker/Plant.
EveryweektheyardagecostsateachoftheFinishOnlyFarmsiscalculatedandbrokenintothe
followingcategories:EmptyandFull.Thesecategoriesarecalculatedasshownbelow:
FullPercentage=Numberofducksatthefarm/Capacityofthefarm

IftheFullPercentageislessthan1,twocostsarecapturedandreported:
o FullCost=WeeklyYardagecostforthatfarm*FullPercentage
o EmptyCost=WeeklyYardagecostforthatfarm*(1FullPercentage)
IftheFullPercentageequals1:
o FullCost=WeeklyYardagecostforthatfarm

SinceyardagecostisoneoftheprimarymetricsfortheRockwellDuckFarmSystem,notonly
areweeklyyardagecostsimportant,butanoverallmetricisalsoimportant.
Packer/Plant
Ducksaremarketedovera6weektimeperiod.Ifducksarereadytostartgoingtomarketon
week22,theyaresenttomarketweeks2227.Itisassumedthatafarmsitewillbeassigned
toaparticularcustomer(PackerPlant)andwillserviceonlythatcustomerforthedurationof
therun.

Schedules
TwoscheduleswilldrivethesimulationmodeloftheFarmSystem:aMarketSchedule,anda
HatchingFarmschedule.Ultimately,theMarketScheduledrivesthedemandforducks.
However,thisdemandiscurrentlysomewhatdisconnectedfromthefrontendoftheprocess
(HatchingFarms)duetothenatureofthesystem.Therefore,aHatchingFarmschedulewillbe
usedtogenerate(push)hatchlingsintothesystemandaMarketSchedulewillbeusedtopull
finishedducksoutofthesystemfromtheGrowth/FinishFarmsandFinishOnlyFarms.Both
scheduleswillbeexpressedintermsofnumberofducksperweekoverthecourseofayear.

TheHatchingFarmscheduleisexpectedtodefineproduction(hatchlings)perweekper
HatchingFarm.Thislevelofdetailisrequiredinordertobeabletoseparateoutfarmswith
healthconditionsfromtheotherHatchingFarmsinaparticularFlow.
Animation
RockwellhasrequestedarepresentationoftheDuckFarmSupplyChain.Itcanbeassumedthat
allfarmswillnotneedtobeincludedintheanimation.However,ataminimum,a
representationofeachtypeoffarmandpackerplantshouldbecaptured.
SimulationScenarios
Thevalueinanysimulationistheabilitytoeasilymodifyinputparameterstotestandevaluatea
systemwithoutphysicallydisturbingthesystem.Thesimulationconstructedwillallowvarious
whatifscenariostobeperformedsothatsystemperformancecanbeevaluated.
Themodelmustbedesignedtoachievetheprojectobjectivesaswellasanswerspecific
questionsasdiscussedabove.Scenariosshouldbedesignedinordertoaddressthegiven
objectivesandquestions.
Hint:
Theprocessstepsinthissystemarefairlystraightforward.However,thecomplexityofthe
systemlieswithdatamanagement(arrays,sets,andpointers).