The IYOPRO simulation tool has been used in teaching and research at the University of Hamburg for seven years. “Before that, the modeling and the runtime analysis were largely created independently of one another. The simulation model to be implemented started "from scratch" and had to be programmed in Java. That was time-consuming and error-prone, "says Dr. Johannes Göbel back. He is a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science for "Modeling and Simulation of Organizational Systems".
The simulation expert from the University of Hamburg emphasizes that it is now possible to try out the process logic at a lower threshold: “With the software, we create simulations without having to program. Due to the integrated development environment, the simulation model can only be created by combining model components in a modular manner. That is a sustainable trend. ”Nevertheless, one does not have to forego the flexibility of programming, where it makes additional sense. "Program snippets" to be executed and functions to be evaluated can be stored in tasks, events and gateways.
Create simulation without programming
The IYOPRO software provides a platform for business process management. With their help, business processes can be clearly mapped, automated and optimized. The additional simulation component creates a low-threshold expandability for simulating business processes. Process alternatives can be checked for their practical suitability, optimization potentials determined, strategy comparisons created, scenarios such as stress tests evaluated and process cost analyzes carried out.
“With the software, the students get to know the concept of simulation and its possibilities in a simple and intuitive way. The simulation technology makes it possible to make changes to a model in a sandpit environment, ”says Johannes Göbel. The simulation makes it transparent how z. B. internal decisions, such as the number of workers employed or external fluctuations, such as the number of customer orders, affect throughput, costs and other parameters.
Software facilitates learning processes in simulations
“The simulation software conveys a feeling for the interrelationships and feedback of the business processes. Then the complexity of the models can be increased step by step, for example to compare investment alternatives or structurally different process approaches. We use a different duration in a single task, because e.g. For example, a new machine can complete a certain production step more quickly, or even the option of designing a completely different process logic or sequence of process steps, "says the simulation expert, describing the learning process.
According to his experience, the simulation tool facilitates learning the basics of modeling and simulation-based runtime estimation. This is also made easier by the clear visualization of the simulation results.
The IYOPRO software is also used at the University of Hamburg for more demanding simulation studies in the context of study projects and theses. Johannes Göbel also mentions the conformity check as a useful function of the software. The software notifies the user of faulty or incomplete model components during the modeling process. “The early feedback from the software when creating the model is very relevant in practice. The message "Timer start event without storing start time / distribution" shows that necessary information has been forgotten and that there is no mistake in reasoning. This becomes all the more important the larger and more complex the models become. ”The models could become as complex as desired with an increasing number of parameters, for example if hundreds of different components and process steps were taken into account in a production process and at the same time the availability of a few experts with know-how must be taken into account for these components or process steps.
Increase in productivity through business process simulation
With the simulation tool from IYOPRO, risk-free forecasts can be made about the runtime of processes, and various process configurations can be compared and optimized. Potential bottlenecks can be identified by allocating resources. The simulation expert names a wide range of possible applications for this, for example if the effects of investments on capacities, material flows and space requirements are to be assessed. This plays an important role in logistics and (production) planning, in order to experiment in a kind of "sandpit" and evaluate scenarios: "Decisions can be tried out and their effects determined without disrupting a real system. It can result in lost profits or costs from bad investments and customer dissatisfaction if a planned system or configuration (e.g. layout of a production line, hiring / assignment of employees) proves to be inefficient. In this respect, the simulation belongs in the "toolbox" of decision-makers or the people who advise them. "
He also mentions the calculations for warehousing as a typical area of application in order to find the best balance between delivery capability and capital commitment. The comparison of several scenarios provides decision support here. The results obtained can also be used as reference indicators for company comparisons in the industry.
Johannes Göbel points to a further effect of process simulations: “In order to create a meaningful simulation model, process data must be collected and entered. However, these are often not documented and only available as experience-based knowledge of individual experts. If these experts are not available or retire due to old age, the process know-how can be lost. In the course of the simulation, this data is then documented qualitatively and quantitatively. "
From business process model to simulation model
When asked about weighing up the costs and benefits of simulations, the simulation expert at the University of Hamburg replies with a similar quote from “Simulation of Production Systems” (Kosturiak and Gregor, Springer, 1995): Instead of asking “Can we afford the simulation technology?” the perspective be: "How long can we afford to do without the simulation?"
What Johannes Göbel particularly appreciates about the simulation in IYOPRO is how easy it is to convert a business process model into a simulation model: “Mainly, the duration of the tasks must be stored and any resources required must be specified. This enrichment, which turns a process model into a simulation model, is therefore seamless and possible in the same user interface. The start of a simulation-based runtime analysis is only a few mouse clicks away. "
Dr. Johannes Göbel
Dr. Johannes Göbel studied business informatics at the University of Hamburg, where he did his doctorate in computer science at the chair for modeling and simulation (Prof. Dr.-Ing.Page). He is currently a lecturer and course coordinator in the Computer Science Department at the University of Hamburg. In addition to the simulation of logistic systems, environmental informatics as well as BitCoin and other cryptocurrencies are at the center of his current research interests.