Production Line Simulation with ARENA
How a Bottleneck Became My Favorite Word in Engineering
When I first encountered the word "bottleneck," it sounded like a traffic jam or something you’d shout at a slow driver. Little did I know, it would become the keyword of my first major simulation project in university.
As part of a production systems course, our team was tasked with designing a simulation model of a manufacturing line using ARENA. We had to model real-life operations — machines, workers, buffers, setup times — and figure out how to increase overall efficiency without increasing costs.
Sounds simple, right? Until you press “run” and everything collapses after the second workstation.
Yep — bottleneck. My favorite word now.
The Technical Side
We started by mapping out the current process: input flows, machine capabilities, processing times. I quickly took the lead in modeling the logic in ARENA, setting up modules like Create, Process, Decide, Dispose, and defining custom logic for conditional paths. Once the first working model was up, we ran multiple simulations and tracked KPIs like:
Average queue length
Resource utilization
Throughput
Cycle time
Using this data, we tried variations: changing machine order, increasing buffer sizes, redistributing workers. Some worked. Some made it worse. But in every scenario, we learned something new.
Eventually, we identified a bottleneck in the packaging station. By adding just one additional resource and slightly tweaking the logic, we reduced total system cycle time by 17%.
What I Learned
That project wasn’t just about simulation. It was about thinking like an engineer.
It taught me how to:
See systems holistically
Test hypotheses with data
Communicate clearly within a team
Present complex results in a simple way
We submitted the report, presented our findings, and I walked away with not only a high grade but a new sense of how powerful simulation can be in decision-making.
Why I Still Talk About This Project
Because this was the first time I realized I didn’t just enjoy solving problems — I loved seeing how numbers, logic, and tools like ARENA can help improve real systems.
This project is why I later dove into SQL, data pipelines, ERP systems, and performance optimization. It gave me a foundation in thinking systemically, and I still approach problems with the same mindset:
