Email: Jan.Soons@UGent.be
Affiliation: Department of Industrial Management, Ghent University, Belgium
I’m a researcher and engineer passionate about bridging the gap between theoretical scheduling algorithms and hands-on factory logistics. My focus is on simulation-based education, helping students and professionals visualize and understand complex production systems through interactive tools.
Co-authored with Hendrik Van Landeghem
Published in ECEC 2006
A key project in my research is the Virtual Factory: a simulation-based workbench built in Enterprise Dynamics. It’s designed to teach job shop scheduling through an intuitive, Excel-integrated interface. The tool allows users to test and compare scheduling strategies such as FIFO, EDD, SPT, and optimal algorithms — making abstract logistics concepts interactive and practical.
🔧 Key features:
Realistic job shop simulation
Excel-based input/output for user-friendly analysis
Dynamic scheduling based on priority and release dates
Output metrics like WIP, lateness, and makespan
💡 This project was part of the European Commission’s ALFA Project, "Virtual Engineering Workbench."
Job shop scheduling & optimization
Educational simulations
Factory logistics
Human-computer interaction in industrial systems
Simulation modeling with Enterprise Dynamics
MSc in Industrial Management, Ghent University
Thesis: Design of a Virtual Factory (2005)
ALFA Project – European Commission initiative for engineering education through virtual tools
Pilot labs conducted in Belgium and Mexico to validate simulation-based teaching methods