Simulation is a powerful tool for analyzing, designing, and operating complex systems. It enables you to test hypotheses without having to carry them out, saving you thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars!

It is a cost-effective means of exploring new processes, without having to resort to pilot programs. Simulation provides a method for checking your understanding of the world around you and helps you produce better results faster. And it is an efficient communication tool, showing how an operation works while stimulating creative thinking about how it can be improved.

Simulation Models

A model is a logical description of how a system performs. Simulations involve designing a model of a system and carrying out experiments on it as it progresses through time. For example, the board game Monopoly is a model of a real system– the hotels and facilities of Atlantic City. When you play Monopoly, you are simulating that system. Simulation with ExtendSim means that instead of interacting with a real system, you create a model which corresponds to it in certain aspects.

You can use a model to describe how a real-world activity will perform. Models also enable you to test hypotheses at a fraction of the cost of actually undertaking the activities which the models simulate. For example, if you are a hardware designer, you can use ExtendSim to simulate the performance of a proposed system before building it.

One of the principal benefits of a model is that you can begin with a simple approximation of a process and gradually refine the model as your understanding of the process improves. This “step-wise refinement” enables you to achieve good approximations of very complex problems surprisingly quickly. As you add refinements, your model becomes more and more accurate.

Why Simulation is Important

Simulation provides a method for checking your understanding of the world around you and helps you produce better results faster. A simulation program like ExtendSim is an important tool that you can use to:

		Predict the course and results of certain actions.
		Understand why observed events occur.
		Identify problem areas before implementation.
		Explore the effects of modifications.
		Confirm that all variables are known.
		Evaluate ideas and identify inefficiencies.
		Gain insight and stimulate creative thinking.
		Communicate the integrity and feasibility of your plans.