|
Deborah A. Sadowski ,Mark R. Grabau2 D! P$ y0 `) u; O& o( ]
There's a common misconception that performing a simulation study involves a sequence of steps (e.g., project definition, model formulation, verification, validation, analysis). To the contrary, all elements of a simulation project should be performed repeatedly throughout the effort, . u- N% H4 a$ F: H0 e$ @- H( P
growing in scope as the model progresses. ' o" N* ^4 N) W+ k
In the traditional view, projects suffer from too strong a focus on the model (and perhaps the animation), so that after the inevitable delays and problems, there's no time left to run scenarios. Instead, the analyst is faced with a presentation deadline that's firm and little time to experi-
5 O" k3 v- I6 l, ?0 m/ Rment, analyze, or think. ) k) ^2 \! q8 _, S7 N( q# d: r
Instead, you should schedule the project in complete phases. Intermediate milestones, spaced no more than about two weeks apart in a medium to large project, should include specific goals for the model, animation, data, and analysis. By the time you reach the last 25% of your time on the project, you should have addressed the basic analysis issues of run length, warm-up time, etc. and should already have performed preliminary analysis on the model for a number of different scenarios. |
|