Simulation software for smart manufacturing: a review

Modern manufacturing enterprises are faced with the challenges of increasing efficiency, adaptability, and integration of production processes in Industry 4.0. Discrete-event modeling and digital twins are key tools for optimizing production, planning, and decision-making. At the same time, choosing the optimal software remains difficult due to the various available platforms with different functionality. The article provides a systematic analysis of nine modern software programs for discrete-event modeling of production processes: (“FlexSim in Academia | FlexSim.” 2025. Accessed Aug 7. https://www.flexsim.com/academia/?utm), Tecnomatix Plant Simulation, Visual Components, ProModel for AutoCAD, iGrafx, Arena Simulation, Delmia, simul8, and Simio. The assessment was carried out in five key categories: technical, analytical, organizational, economic, and educational, which allows for a comprehensive description of the functionality and scope of each software. The study's results confirm the leading role of FlexSim as a universal tool that combines powerful analytical capabilities, high scalability, integration with corporate systems, and advanced support for educational and research initiatives. A comparison of the indicators of other platforms demonstrates their strengths in individual aspects, but in general, emphasizes the need to consider the specifics of the tasks of enterprises and educational institutions when choosing software. The data obtained is of practical importance for modeling specialists, engineers, production managers, and teachers, contributing to increasing the efficiency of decision-making and the development of digital twins in the context of modern industrial technologies.