Application of the Monte Carlo Simulation method to assess the overall productivity of a bromatological laboratory

Authors

Cardenas Escobar, Nadia Lorena

Pinargote Zavala, Stalin

Garcia Bustos, Sandra

Quichimbo Moran, Jorge

Abstract

The initial step of the production chain in a food processing factory in Ecuador is the qualification of raw materials, which is overseen by the bromatological laboratory of a company that expects reliable and timely results. The laboratory process starts from the reception of the raw materials until the sending of the results to the areas involved. However, some stages of the process are more elaborated than others, causing delays in the delivery of the raw material qualification results, which subsequently continue into the production chain process. For this reason, productivity at each stage of the analytical process must be improved to reduce results delivery time. This work used the Monte Carlo simulation method to find the best scenario for increasing productivity in the bromatology laboratory. The findings show that productivity could increase from 23% to 56% as long as the causes of delays in the analysis are solved.