Simulation Modeling with Kieran Concannon Mark Elder Kim Hindle Jillian Tremble Stanley Tse Produced by: Simulation Solutions Copyright Visual Thinking International, 2007 Cover Design Jo-Dee Burbach Tuling This book was produced by Visual8 Corporation and printed and bound by e- impressions Inc. First published 2004 Copyright © Visual Thinking International. All rights reserved. This edition published 2007 Copyright © Visual Thinking International No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Visual Thinking International, telephone 1-800-878-3373, email [email protected]. All trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Document Edition 4.1 Date September 2007 SIMUL8 Software Version 14.0 ISBN 0-9734285-0-3 Printed in Canada. National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Simulation modeling with SIMUL8 / Kieran Concannon ... [et al.]. Includes index. ISBN 0-9734285-0-3 1. SIMUL8. 2. Computer simulation--Computer programs. I. Concannon, Kieran, 1951- QA76.9.C65S45 2003 003'.353 C2003-907459-5 About the Authors and Contributors Simulation Modeling with SIMUL8 • 1 About the Authors and Contributors Authors Kieran Concannon With a Masters in Operations Research from Birmingham University, Kieran has been developing computer simulations for over 25 years. He has played a vital role in establishing the use of simulation in production planning and execution and has been influential in the development of SIMUL8. Kieran founded and is currently the President of Visual8 Corporation, the preeminent consulting, training, and support group for SIMUL8 in North America. Mark Elder Mark obtained his doctorate for research on Visual Interactive Modeling from the University of Strathclyde and has been one of the pioneers of the visual interactive approach. In 1994, Mark founded SIMUL8 Corporation and currently serves as the President of the software development company. Along with his expert knowledge of SIMUL8, his pedagogical experience also includes teaching simulation within the Department of Management Science at the University of Strathclyde. Kim Hindle (formerly Hunter) Upon completion of her 1st class BA Honours degree in Management Science and Marketing from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Kim has worked for Visual8 Corporation. She has many years of building complex simulation models using SIMUL8 as well as the development of a number of simulation-based planning and scheduling systems with Visual8. Copyright Visual Thinking International 2007 2 • About the Authors and Contributors Jillian Tremble Jillian graduated from the University of Strathclyde with an Honors degree in Management Science, Mathematics, and Statistics and has been working with simulation since 1997. She was involved in a variety of simulation- based projects using SIMUL8 while working at Visual8. Stanley Tse With a degree from University of Western Ontario (Ivey School of Business) in Honors Business Administration along with an MSc at the University of British Columbia (Center for Operations Excellence) in Management Science, Stanley has extensive experience with SIMUL8 as well as other simulation software packages at Visual8 Corporation. Contributors Allen Lwowski With a degree in Industrial Engineering from University of Toronto, Allen has significant experience with SIMUL8 through his work at Visual8. Ian Nichol Ian is a graduate of University of Toronto’s Industrial Engineering program. The focus of his work at Visual8 Corporation has been using simulation to examine operational effectiveness of proposed systems. Valerie Limmer Valerie holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from University of Toronto. In her work at Visual8 she specializes in building SIMUL8 systems that use planning and scheduling technologies. Anders Nielsen Anders is an Associate Consultant with Visual8 with over 15 years of manufacturing improvement experience. Anders has directed a wide range of projects in industries such as automotive OEM, automotive parts, confectionary, consumer goods, steel, building materials, logistics, and distribution. In the last four years, he has been employing simulation modeling to assist clients with a variety of needs, such as capacity planning, plant layout analysis, and production schedule verification. He has been a member of Professional Engineers Ontario since 1986. About the Authors and Contributors Simulation Modeling with SIMUL8 • 3 Chris Milligan A graduate of the Industrial Engineering program at the University of Toronto, Chris has gained experience with SIMUL8 both through academic projects and his work at Visual8. Jennifer Choly Jennifer was first exposed to SIMUL8 while completing her degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto. Recognizing the strength of simulation modeling to improve industrial processes inspired her to work for Visual8 upon graduation. Copyright Visual Thinking International 2007 4 • About the Authors and Contributors Preface Simulation Modeling with SIMUL8 • 5 Preface As a simulation user, developer, and advocator, I am pleased to see the development of a book that not only looks at how to use SIMUL8 software but also explores and discusses the uses and application of simulation in general. It has always been the mission of SIMUL8 Corporation to make simulation a general purpose, easy-to-use tool that is available to all types of decision-makers regarding the flow of work or people. As a result, the uses of simulation and SIMUL8 applications are great and varied. This book is a good introduction to a variety of applications of SIMUL8 over the years since its introduction in 1994. The authors of this book, apart from myself, are all part of a company called Viusal8 Corporation that has, since SIMUL8’s inception, been the primary support and solution provider within North America. As a result, this team of authors is well equipped with the necessary experience to tackle the use and application of simulation techniques using SIMUL8. I was excited about learning more on the applications that this advanced team of consultants has undertaken over the years, and welcomed the introduction of SIMUL8 as the basis for a simulation-based textbook for students and new users alike. The scope of this text is wide and well surpasses any reference material currently available on the use of SIMUL8. Not only does the book cover all aspects of SIMUL8 and forms a practically useful guide to the use of SIMUL8 software, but it also extends further into the use of simulation, industrial applications, and case studies. This created a mammoth task for the team in terms of collecting information on typical case studies and making them of general use to the reader. The group’s main goal was to provide a textbook that would inspire readers to tackle new areas of simulation application as well as instruct them into methods to easily apply the technique. Consequently, this book is an excellent collection of case studies, knowledge, and expert reference to simulation and the tool SIMUL8. Copyright Visual Thinking International 2007 6 • Preface As SIMUL8 approaches its twelfth year, its ease of use makes it a great tool for all decision-makers. This book provides a practical guide to the use of the tool within many industries and I am excited to see this area of the text grow over the coming years. Mark Elder, CEO and Founder of SIMUL8 Corporation Abridged Contents Simulation Modeling with SIMUL8 • 7 Abridged Contents About the Authors and Contributors 1 Preface 5 Abridged Contents 7 Table of Contents 9 Simulation Overview 15 Chapter 1: Introduction to Simulation 17 Chapter 2: Working with Simulation 35 Chapter 3: Statistical Considerations 53 Business Applications 67 Chapter 4: Manufacturing Case Studies 69 Chapter 5: Service Industry/Business Process 83 Chapter 6: Supply Chain Case Studies 111 Chapter 7: Operations Scheduling Case Studies 133 SIMUL8 Reference 147 Chapter 8: Quick Reference Guide 149 Chapter 9: Starting Up 161 Chapter 10: SIMUL8 Basics 187 Chapter 11: Work Item Labels 207 Chapter 12: Distributions 213 Chapter 13: Resources 231 Chapter 14: Shifts 241 Chapter 15: Priority 245 Chapter 16: Efficiency 251 Chapter 17: Routing In 257 Chapter 18: Routing Out 267 Chapter 19: Alternative Routing/Timing Methods 275 Chapter 20: Other Objects 287 Chapter 21: Groups 295 Chapter 22: Results 299 Chapter 23: Information Store 329 Copyright Visual Thinking International 2007 8 * Table of Contents Chapter 24: Dialog Boxes 337 Chapter 25: Visual Logic 345 Chapter 26: General SIMUL8 Information 381 Appendix A: Tips and Tricks 395 Appendix B: Table of Figures 399 Appendix C: Index 409 Table of Contents Simulation Modeling with SIMUL8 • 9 Table of Contents About the Authors and Contributors ..................................................1 Authors 1 Contributors 2 Preface 5 Abridged Contents.............................................................................. 7 Table of Contents ............................................................................... 9 Simulation Overview 15 Chapter 1: Introduction to Simulation .........................................17 What is Simulation? 17 Why Simulation? 19 The Position of Simulation in the Organization 23 Choosing Simulation Software 25 How does Simulation work? 27 Other Types of Simulation 29 Historical development of Simulation 29 The Future of Simulation