Simulation in manufacturing and business: A review

This paper reports the results of a review of simulation applications published within peer-reviewed literature between 1997 and 2006 to provide an up-to-date picture of the role of simulation techniques within manufacturing and business. The review is characterised by three factors: wide coverage, broad scope of the simulation techniques, and a focus on real-world applications. A structured methodology was followed to narrow down the search from around 20,000 papers to 281. Results include interesting trends and patterns. For instance, although discrete event simulation is the most popular technique, it has lower stakeholder engagement than other techniques, such as system dynamics or gaming. This is highly correlated with modelling lead time and purpose. Considering application areas, modelling is mostly used in scheduling. Finally, this review shows an increasing interest in hybrid modelling as an approach to cope with complex enterprise-wide systems.     

Simulation modelling in healthcare: reviewing legacies and investigating futures

This article proposes considered futures for the use of simulation as a problem solving technique within healthcare settings. Using a synthesis of trends identified by a selection of experts in the field, academics and industrialists, critical analysis was applied to find the differences between what exists and what could be created based on outlining some major themes. The survey data reveals that most respondents agree on following whole system approaches with more joined up modelling or mixed methods to tackle problems rather than single-solution-based practices. The article then presents options for how simulation could be used within the healthcare domain. Such options or futures could assist in identifying the critical barriers towards having a successful strategy and provide the basis for debate that will be necessary to attain it.     

Simulating economic factors in adjuvant breast cancer treatment

When conducting an experimental study in healthcare systems, two problems are faced, those of uncertainty and complexity. Uncertainty is related to identifying variables for data collection (particularly if there are time and cost constraints on the modelling exercise). Complexity is related to the existence of many interacting variables (including treatment paths for patients, patient illnesses, side effects of treatments, etc.), each of a stochastic nature. This paper reports the usefulness of discrete event simulation modelling in exploring these issues. It focuses on the use of this form of simulation in supporting decision making in a randomised clinical trial (RCT). The objective of using simulation modelling is to help health economists identify the key factors active in the RCT through the development of a model of the healthcare related processes being studied by the RCT. This approach provides an opportunity to allow users to understand the role of these factors in the RCT. This research is carried out in the context of the Adjuvant Breast Cancer RCT.     

Exploring the role of supplier relationship management for sustainable operations: an OR perspective

This paper provides a systems-based approach to the exploration of the relationship and integration between Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) factors as part of a Sustainable Operations Management (SOM) agenda. The authors have chosen electronic procurement (e-Procurement) as a suitable context in this light. Through a review of extant literature, a Systems Archetype (SA) model was developed (based on the ‘Accidental Adversaries’ archetype) and findings from a quantitative pilot study exploring key factors pertinent to e-Procurement SRM were gathered, and hence evaluated against SOM factors. The objective of this research was to describe and visualise the causal interrelationships involved in SRM-SOM through the application of a SA (as an Operations Research tool). The authors believe that this research also provides a unique approach to developing and harnessing the useful and unique properties of Systems Thinking (ST), by attempting to reduce and organise the (generally ad hoc and wide-ranging) sequence of subjective perspectives commonly experienced in causal mapping experiments. The paper builds upon the extant literature, and provides further basis for continuing research in the areas of ST, SAs and the application of operational research to plan sustainable operations.     

Simulation modelling is 50! Do we need a reality check?

Simulation modelling is a fascinating research field. The techniques and tools of simulation modelling have been used to research and investigate the behaviour of various systems in a wide range of areas such as commerce, computer networks, defence, health, manufacturing and transportation. Indeed, the study of the use of these techniques and tools, and the development of new forms of these, are a rich source of research in their own right. Simulation modelling is about to reach the 50th anniversary of the development of GSP (General Simulation Program), the first simulation modelling language (Tocher and Owen, 1960). There have been several historical accounts of simulation modelling research. To complement these, we have performed a review of the recent history of simulation modelling. This study targeted three leading journals dedicated to this field. These are the ACM Transactions of Modeling and Computer Simulation, Simulation: Transactions of The Society for Modeling and Simulation International and Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory (formerly Simulation Practice and Theory). The study covered the first 6 years of this century (2000–2005) and included 576 papers. The key observation of this work was the relative lack of ‘real world’ involvement in simulation modelling research and an even greater lack of evidence of ‘real world’ benefit, arguably very alarming outcomes for an applied field. To further investigate this observation two additional surveys were carried out, one to study if real world papers appeared in the more widely known OR/MS literature (837 papers in 12 journals) and one to study if such papers appeared in Manufacturing and Logistics, an application area closely associated with simulation modelling (1077 papers in 10 journals). The results of these surveys confirmed our observations. We ask if this is the natural evolution of a field that has existed for half a century or an indication of a worrying problem? This paper reports on our findings and discusses whether or not simulation modelling research urgently needs to face a ‘reality check.’