Screening Items in an Aging Chain With a Co-Flow Structure: An Application to the Product Pipeline Management Problem

Abstract

In many situations, System Dynamics modelers have to capture attributes of items that are tracked in an aging chain. The outflow of items from the stocks in these chains usually depends on the attributes that are tracked in the co-flow. But these well known, classic models fail to account for a specific phenomenon, the screening of items. This study presents a new application of co-flows in aging chains: A co-flow that enables the process of screening, i.e. the process of either terminating or approving items depending on an attribute. Many possible applications are suggested. An application to product pipeline management is developed.

The Behavior of a Co-flow structure to Screen Projects in a Product Pipeline

“…This study presents the simulation results from a new structure to system dynamics models as defined in the previous papers about the model LOIOLA, 2012LOIOLA, , 2014aLOIOLA, , 2014bFIGUEIREDO et al., 2015). Such structure accounts for a specific phenomenon, the screening of items from the stocks in the chain.…”

“…This Figure is inspired on Clark and Wheelwright's (pp. 294, 1993) classic representation of the pipeline, adapted to a system dynamics model and is adapted from Figueiredo and Loiola (2012, 2014a, 2014b and Figueiredo et al (2015). It demonstrates the simplest configuration of the process, i.e.…”

“…Wheelwright and Clark (1992) propose a typology for PPM projects, based on the degree of innovativeness and configuration of the project teams. The model presented here can be used to analyze firms that focus on all three kinds of projects (breakthrough, platform or derivatives), however it fits especially well to pharmaceutical innovation chains (FIGUEIREDO & LOIOLA, 2012, 2014a, 2014bFIGUEIREDO et al, 2015), where there is more homogeneity among projects.…”

“…But a few models, such as Anderson et al (2005) and Varma et al (2003), explore the dynamics of the process. The study by Varma et al (2003) is based on discrete event simulation, however Anderson et al (2005) developed a system dynamics model for service chains, from which Figueiredo and Loiola (2012, 2014a, 2014b and Figueiredo et. al.…”