IS 788: Business Process Change and Management
Lab 2 (Simulation)
The purpose of this lab is to gain hands-on experience programming a simulation model using the SIMUL8
software package. The following are required for this lab:
1.
2.
3.
4.
PC with SIMUL8 software installed
The SIMUL8 tutorial manual
http://www.business.unr.edu/faculty/kuechler/788/SIMUL8%20tutorial.pdf
This lab sheet
Notes from the week 9 lecture on simulation
When this lab has been completed the student should be able to:
 Model a simple process and execute the simulation of the process using SIMUL8.
 Set the parameters for the model to realistic values and be able to gather and print results for
individual simulation runs
 Compare results across multiple runs each working with different values (or slightly different
models) and iterate toward an optimum model or (local) optimum set of values for a model.
Part 1: Tutorial
SIMUL8 provides several dated but still useful dynamic screen simulations on setting up a simple model:
 Start SIMUL8
 Click ‘Help’
 Click ‘Show Me How Movies’ – there are 4 short dynamic screen simulations
Note: the icons on the current version of SIMUL8 are different from those shown in the ‘movies’. Mapping
the movie icons to the current icons is part of the challenge of the lab. The control keys demonstrated are
identical to the current version.
After viewing the tutorial movies, follow the tutorial in the SIMUL8 student manual (URL above) on pages
1 through 24.
There are no deliverables from this section of the lab.
Part 2: Prototyping your project process
At this point the student should be able to prototype all or a portion of your group project process.
 Scope the portion of your process you intend to model
 Create the simulation model using realistic parameter settings for times, batch sizes, etc.
(Accurately simulating your project process may require advanced techniques. See Advanced
Programming (optional) below.)
 Vary the parameters and possibly the model (by adding another work center or queue, for
example) and print out the results for each model.
The deliverables for this part of the lab are
 The simulation model(s)
 The results from the model run(s)
 A brief (1-2 page) description of what was done and an interpretation of the results for a
managerial audience
Part 3: Advanced programming (optional)
An accurate simulation model for your project process may require more complex parameters than are
possible to enter in SIMUL8 simply by clicking or filling in parameter boxes. Delay times may be
conditional on load, for example, or conditional routings may need to be enacted based on complex
decision logic. This can be accomplished in SIMUL8 using a SIMUL8 proprietary language called Visual
Logic. Teaching Visual Logic is beyond the scope of this course, however multiple student groups in
multiple semesters have mastered the language and arrived at very sophisticated models. Some resources to
assist in self-learning advanced SIMUL8 techniques:
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
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The SIMUL8 Student Tutorial, pages 25+
The Visual Logic manual
http://www.business.unr.edu/faculty/kuechler/788/Simul8VisualLogic.pdf
Many examples of the use of advanced techniques are supplied with SIMUL8
o Start SIMUL8
o Click ‘Help’
o Click “Examples Library’
SIMUL8 on-line help
Optional
Your project process does not seem to lend itself to simulation. Therefore, for this lab, complete the
Tutorial section, above, and then write up several pages of reflection on the tutorial:
 What did you learn?
 What would you most like to learn?
 How could the tutorial be improved?
 How could simulation be useful in your workplace?
 Comments on SIMUL8 – functionality? interface?