An Evaluation of Discrete Event Simulation Software for ”Dynamic Rough-Cut Analysis"

Paper i proceeding, 2002

Many companies view simulation as a complex expert tool, and therefore do not use it as frequently as they could. The purpose of this paper is to asses what Discrete Event Simulation (DES) software is suitable for the modelling of Dynamic Rough Cut Analysis (DRCA). The paper presents an evaluation of different DES software suitability for DRCA. A reference model built in four different DES packages was evaluated according to the Multi Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT). The software packages evaluated are Witness, Simul8, Extend, and Taylor ED. This evaluation can be used as a guide for choosing the proper simulation tool to speed up the decision process in the early stages of larger projects or for fast feedback in smaller projects to support decision-making. The need for speed during model building addresses the importance of an easy to use simulation tool since many simulation packages demand expert knowledge of the user in order to be fully utilised. The focus of this study has been on the concept of “Dynamic Rough Cut Analysis”, which means building DES models rapidly and efficiently. A consequence of speed in the building of a model is a rougher level of the system being modelled, although it gives enough detail to allow strategic decisions to be made. The results imply that Simul8, Extend, and Taylor ED are suitable softwares for conducting DRCA.