Papers

The aim of this study is twofold. Firstly, to demonstrate how combining computer simulation, data from multiple data sources, and statistical methods, can extend the understanding of the issues associated with process modelling and analysis in healthcare environment, and therefore contribute to improvements in resource utilisation and safety in hospitals. Secondly, to provide simple re-useable methodology for cross-validation of multiple data-sources such as interviews, hospital IT data management systems and simulation results. The insights from this study are threefold. Firstly, the accuracy of the estimates of duration of cannulation obtained through the interviews with the nurses and the chemotherapy unit manager is very high. Secondly, although the duration estimates were precise, the process descriptions obtained through interviews with nurses were oversimplified or incomplete and therefore did not realistically reflect complexity of a medical process with a significant number of relatively rarely occurring exceptions. Thirdly, by combining multiple data-sources it is possible to reduce costs associated with observation as a most expensive data-capturing approach. A detailed exposure of the methodology including step-by-step description is provided to facilitate conducting similar research in hospitals in the future.

Traditional intersection traffic signal control strategy is pre-determined signal with certain phase timing length for each circle. Studies focusing on adaptive traffic signal strategy have somewhat achieved the goal of reducing traffic system delay to some extent. However, few of them capture the benefit of using the queue length as the criteria under the connected vehicle environment, and this paper focuses on firstly identifying the potential saving of average system delay with agent-based simulation modeling, and secondly finding out the relationship between average system delay and average queue length for traffic approaching the signalized intersections. Through applying the agent-based simulation modeling approach in AnyLogic, findings show that average system delay could be reduced using optimized parameters (e.g. arrival rate, signal phase length, etc.), specifically, 5.29% saving of total average system time, 4%-28% traffic queue reduction for different traffic lanes, and a positive relationship between average system de-lay and the average traffic queue length is detected.

Uncertainty in planning tasks such as processing times, set up times, customer required lead times, due dates, time to failure, time to repair and the complexity in terms of product variety, outsourcing, short lead times, low inventory levels, low costs, high utilization are major hurdles for planning logistic and production processes. This poster introduces a business game for methods in logistics, production planning, procurement, production, distribution and sales tasks. Basic methods such as MRP, CONWIP, Kanban, reorder policies, dispatching rules, basic demand forecasting methods, MPS are implemented in the game. Due to the generic environment additional methods can be implemented efficiently. Attention has also been paid to a didactic learning concept. A web based platform has been developed where presentation and videos will support the learning effort of the gamers. Online pre-test are included to examine the current skills.

The production ramp-up of new aircraft is characterized by high complexity and planning and control chal-lenges caused by complex product design, supply chain and production processes. In the past, this resulted in significant delays and increased costs of the production ramp-up. Novel business strategies and planning and scheduling technologies promise better production control and risk mitigation during the ramp-up phase. The European research project ARUM has developed those business strategies and a new distributed decision support solution based on knowledge processing technologies. A simulation testbed was used to identify the most beneficial business strategies and to evaluate linked control strategies for the industrial use case of the Airbus A350 production ramp-up. This paper discusses the potential of simulations for the business strategy definition and for the validation of linked control strategies from the industrial end-user perspective.

National grain reserve is important in terms of responding to disasters and the unbalance between supply and demand in many countries. In China, the government supplements grain supply through online auctions. This study focuses on the auction policy of national grain reserve. We develop an agent-based simulation model of China’s wheat market with detail descriptions of different agents, including national grain reserve, grain trading enterprises and grain processing enterprises. Based on this model, the Optimal Computing Budget Allocation (OCBA) simulation optimization method is adopted to analyze the characteristics of optimal decision variables under different scenarios, with an objective to minimize the fluctuation of wheat price. We obtain some insights about operations of national grain reserve. As the first agent-based simulation model about national grain reserve and grain market, this model can be widely used in agricultural economics, and can provide policy supports to the government.

The paper first discusses the importance of discrete event simulation (DES) in the business school curriculum. It next notes how small Macintosh lap tops have become increasingly popular among business students. We next discuss what DES software is available on the Mac, first directly, then indirectly by running DES software for Windows in some way on the Mac. Noting that there is not much simple DES software on the Mac, but yet a great demand for such software from many business students, we turn to the transfer of one pedagogical software system, aGPSS, from Windows to the Mac. We here first give a brief historic background of aGPSS. Next we discuss some of the problems encountered when transferring aGPSS to the Mac. The paper ends with a brief discussion of some pedagogical aspects of using aGPSS on the Mac in the teaching of basic management science.

By imitating chaotic disaster situations in risk-free settings, disaster-related simulation can be helpful for training of response participation, damage evaluation, and recovery planning. However, each single simulation needs to interact with others because different simulation combinations are required due to numerous disasters and their complex effects on facilities, and diverse response efforts. We therefore developed a distributed simulation platform for disaster response management by using the High Level Architecture (HLA) (IEEE 1516) to promote its future extendibility. With a focus on the facility damage after an earthquake and fire, disaster response simulations—including evacuation, emergency recovery, and restoration—interact with a seismic data feeds, and structural response and building fire simulations. This base platform can provide information on possible damages and response situations to reduce confusions in disaster responses. With the strongest features of HLA, which is reusability and extendibility, additional disaster simulators could be coupled for all-time disaster management.

Mechanized tunneling is one of the most common methods used for underground constructions for infrastructure systems. Since a tunnel boring machine (TBM) represents a non-redundant single machine system, the efficiency of maintenance work highly impacts the overall project performance. The wear and tear of cutting tools is a critical, but mostly unknown process. To plan the maintenance work of cutting tools efficiently, it is necessary to know the current tool conditions and adapt the planned maintenance strategies to the actual status accordingly. In this paper, an existing theoretical empiric surrogate model to describe cutting tool conditions will be used and implemented as a software component within a process simulation tool that manages TBM steering parameters. Further, different maintenance setups for TBM cutting tools are presented and evaluated. To prove the capability of the presented approach, a case study will show the effects that improved maintenance work can have on project performance.

Despite a high potential to improve the productivity, quality and safety and also to reduce costs, automated technologies are not widely spread in the construction sector. This paper presents a simulation-based approach to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of wire robots for automated construction in future investigations. Masonry buildings are considered as an appropriate application case due to repetitive construction procedures and high demands concerning accuracy of construction. A simulation model representing the fundamental mechanics of a wire robot is created. Special focus lies on creating collision-free motion profiles which can be exported to the robot control system. BIM models can be used to set-up the simulation model and to prepare the required input data. Following a modular structure, the model can be applied with different purposes in the exploration of the approach. The construction of a one-story masonry building serves as case study proving the concept’s functionality.

Production planning is a complex problem that is typically decomposed into decisions carried out at different control levels. The various methods used for production planning often assume a static environment, therefore, the plans developed may not be feasible when shop floor events change dynamically. In such an operating environment, a system simulation model updated with real-time data can be used to validate a proposed plan. In this paper, we propose a framework to evaluate and validate the feasibility of high-level production plans using a simulation model at a lower level thereby providing a base for improving the upper level plan. The idea is demonstrated with an assembly plant where the aggregate plan is evaluated using discrete event simulation (DES) of shop floor operations with resources allocated according to constraints imposed by the aggregate plan. We also discuss standardized integration interfaces required between simulations and production planning tools.