Issue link: https://industrialengineer.epubxp.com/i/826827
June 2017 | ISE Magazine 47 static Excel analysis could not help the organization deliver and communicate an accurate, trusted growth plan. The en- terprise needed to model the complex dynamics of its opera- tional processes more fully to understand how the business would look in five to 10 years, what future opportunities there might be and how operations would evolve over that period. Most importantly, the enterprise needed to understand the timing of key asset investments. Complex resources and process variables all needed to be factored in, including new equipment specifications and capabilities, quantities and skills of labor, subassembly processes, cranes, forklifts and back- office policies and workflows. Having concluded that Excel would not be a suitable tool, the design team looked at how predictive simulation and ana- lytics could be used to create a virtual dynamic factory. The team created a "virtual factory" model that presented a picture of its manufacturing operations as they would evolve over the next five to 10 years. The model highlighted exactly what would be required to meet demand and maximize profitability. The analysis factored in multiple influencers of plant capacity and perfor- mance, including factory layout, equipment requirements, shift patterns and peaks and valleys of demand. The model encompassed key milestones and product mixes and identified Quantum simulation anyone? Combining quantum computing power with simulation modeling could help researchers analyze millions of materials virtually, yielding stronger polymers for airplanes, better pharmaceuticals and a host of other inventions, according to an article in the journal Nature. Currently, scientists spend hundreds of millions of dollars making and characterizing a handful of materials. Robust algorithms combined with quantum computers, which will be much more powerful than those available today, will enable faster discovery pipelines, according to the report "Commercialize Quantum Technologies in Five Years." Imagine more breathable fabrics, more effective catalytic converters and more efficient materials for solar cells. Various business models could supply quantum simulators, and customers could include laboratories that pay for access and computing companies that act as consultants. The authors caution that such quantum capabilities could be a decade away. Current hurdles include noise control and improving the fidelity of operations acting on the quantum states that encode the information.