Simulation Analysts: Required Skills

1
Simulation Analysts Required Skills

• Matt Rohrer, BrooksAutomation
• Jerry Banks, Independent Consultant

2
Software Vendor Panel

• WSC98
• Emphasis was on software enhancements
• Adding features
• Making it easier to use
• What about the people side

3
lt50

• Estimate that analysts spend lt50 of time on
  modeling
• Other activities
• Collecting and structuring input data
• Writing specifications and reports
• Experimenting with the model
• Presenting results

4
Its backwards

• Too much time spent on tool selection
• Not enough time spent on analyst selection
• The expensive part is analyst time
• Training an analyst is expensive

5
Tasks of a simulation analyst

• Data collection
• Conceptual model development
• Specification development
• Model construction
• Verification
• Validation
• Experimentation
• Reporting and presenting results

6
Data collection

• Time studies
• Reviewing spreadsheet or text files
• Analyzing input data for accuracy
• Fitting distributions to data
• Acquisition of control algorithms and rules

7
Data Collection

• Required skills
• Detail oriented
• Analytical
• Desired skill
• Skeptical
• Acquired skill
• Patient

8
Conceptual model development

• Shannon Reduction or abstraction of the real
  system to a logic flow diagram
• An art and a science

9
Conceptual Model Development

• Required skill
• Systems understanding
• Desired skill
• Experience
• Acquired skill
• Abstraction

10
Specification development

• Description of the conceptual model in words
• Input data needs
• Approach

11
Specification development

• Required skill
• Technical writing
• Acquired skill
• Simulation specification and structure

12
Model construction

• Conceptual model is translated into a computer
  model
• Involves working within the model development
  environment of the software tool
• Programming
• CAD like activity
• Process flow development
• Softwares user interface

13
Model construction

• Required skills
• Logical thinking
• Creative
• Good memory
• Desired skills
• Simulation software experience
• Abstraction
• Debugging
• Acquired skill
• Flexibility of approach

14
Verification

• Comparison of the conceptual model with the
  computer model

15
Validation

• Determining whether the model reflects reality

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Verification/Validation

• Required skills
• Detail oriented
• Skeptical
• Desired skills
• Pragmatic
• Real-world experience
• Acquired skills
• Understanding of accepted methods

17
Experimentation

• Conducting what if analysis

18
Experimentation

• Required skills
• Organized
• Analytical
• Desired skill
• Statistical competency

19
Reporting/Presentation

• Technical documentation of the experimentation
  outcome
• Inferences from the output data
• Communicating model results

20
Reporting

• Required skill
• Technical writing
• Desired skill
• Ability to make inferences

21
Presentation

• Required skill
• Persuasive
• Desired skill
• Quick on their feet
• Acquired skill
• Software for presentations

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End