A simulation model for the operations management sustainability

A tough challenge for the society is to pursue the occupation of workforce while keeping sustainability. In this sense factories on one side are welcome because of their capacity of employment, but on the other side must face very strict sustainability standards. There are many efforts to support factories in reaching sustainability. In the Green foundry LIFE project, for instance, the aim is to show the feasibility of a new more sustainable process. Operations management can be a tool for obtaining an environmentally sustainable production system. The paper aims to verify how acting on the management of the production system with a systematic design, implementation and continuous improvement of all processes the environmental performance increase. The paper proposes a simulation model applied to an industrial case in the foundry sector. The model is applied in production planning in order to reduce storage times. The reduction of these times is necessary for the achievement of the environmental sustainability of an industrial sector that has a significative environmental impact.