Application of simulation and modeling

Why simulation

• It may be too difficult, hazardous, or expensive to observe a real, operational system.

• Parts of the system may not be observable (e.g., internals of a silicon chip or biological system).

• In many situations experimenting with actual system may not be possible at all. For example, it is not possible to conduct experiment, to study the behavior of a man on the surface of moon.

• In some other situations, even if experimentation is possible, it may be too costly and risky.

Uses of simulation

• Analyze systems before they are built

• Reduce number of design mistakes and optimize design

• Analyze operational systems

• Create virtual environments for training, entertainment

• Verify analytic solutions

• Optimize the system design such as routing algorithm or assembly line

• Test new designs and policies

• Semiconductors, telecommunications, civil engineering designs & presentations

When to use simulation

• Simulation is very useful for experiments with the internal interactions of a complex system, or of a subsystem within a complex system.

• Simulation can be employed to experiment with new designs and policies, before implementing.

• Simulation can be used to verify the results obtained by analytical methods and reinforce the analytical techniques.

• Simulation is very useful in determining the influence of changes in input variables on the output of the system.

• Simulation helps in suggesting modifications in the system under investigation for its optimal performance.

Application areas of simulation and modeling

• Manufacturing: Design analysis and optimization of production system, materials management, capacity planning, layout planning, and performance evaluation, evaluation of process quality.

• Business: Market analysis, prediction of consumer behavior, and optimization of marketing strategy and logistics, comparative evaluation of marketing campaigns.

• Military: Testing of alternative combat strategies, air operations, sea operations, simulated war exercises, practicing ordinance effectiveness.

• Healthcare Applications: Such as planning of health services, expected patient density, facilities requirement, hospital staffing, estimating the effectiveness of a health care program.

• Communication Applications: Such as network design, and optimization, evaluating network reliability, manpower planning, sizing of message buffers.

• Computer Applications: Such as designing hardware configurations and operating system protocols, sharing networking.

• Economic Applications: such as portfolio management, forecasting impact of Govt. Policies and international market fluctuations on the economy. Budgeting and forecasting market fluctuations.

• Transportation Applications: Design and testing of alternative transportation policies, transportation networks-roads, railways, airways etc. Evaluation of timetables, traffic planning.

• Environment Applications: Solid waste management, performance evaluation of environmental programs, evaluation of pollution control systems.

• Biological applications: Such as population genetics and spread of epidemics, Internal structure of a complex biological system.