A Decision Support Tool for the Improved Processing of Yellowfin Sole Fillets at a Namibian Seafood Production Company

Abstract

The fishing industry in Namibia contributes approximately 4.5% towards the Namibian GDP. Furthermore, the demand for sustainable processed Yellowfin Sole is increasing worldwide. This research focuses on the processing of Yellowfin Sole fillets which constitutes one of the main operations of a Namibian seafood production company. We present a decision support tool that provides quantitative guidelines for resource capacity allocation over a short-term planning horizon. The decision support tool consists of a software program based on established queueing theory principles to provide measurements and scenario testing of resource utilization, processing queue length as well and the waiting time of unprocessed fish in the processing queue. We test the validity of the decision support tool by means of a discrete event simulation model and predict the processing capacity based on various input values. The decision support tool enables the minimization of downtime, maximization of resource utilization, and improved overall efficiency while maintaining the sustainable processing of Yellowfin Sole fillets.