Computer simulations in planning production processes as a tool of decision making

Production planning in terms of defining the number of resources necessary to execute the production plan in a precisely defined time is a complex task. The complexity of the planning process results from the large number of variables affecting the production process. Planning the production process in such a way as to shorten its duration, reduce costs and at the same time ensure the appropriate quality of the product determines the competitiveness of a given company on the market, which is a key factor today. The aim of the article was to present the justification for using simulation software as a tool supporting decision-making in the field of selecting the appropriate number of production resources necessary to implement the assumed production plan. The subject of the research was the actual production process (case study). For the purposes of the research, a five-stage methodology was developed, the effect of which was to conduct a computer simulation of the production process. The obtained results allowed to indicate the best of the analyzed solutions, ensuring reduction, among others, of the duration of the production process and the costs generated by it. The analysis confirmed the justification for using computer simulation in planning production processes as a tool supporting decision-making.