Computer Simulation for

Business
MIS 514
Discrete Event Simulation (DES)
Conceptual Modelling

HANNAN MIA

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 Learning Outcomes and Reading
• The learning outcomes of this lecture are
– Present the basic principles of discrete event
simulation
– Describe the elements involved in a
simulation of a system
– Present the concept of activity cycle diagram’
• Reading
– Pidd M “Computer Simulation in Management
Science” 5th edition Chapter 5, pp 63-81.

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 Fundamentals of Discrete Event
Simulation (DES)
• Discrete event simulation employs a next event
technique to control the behaviour of the system.
• DES is generally applied to simulate systems
involving queues.
• These queues may be easy to determine in
some systems, but they may be difficult to be
defined in other systems.
• Therefore, DES employs a unified terminology to
represent the systems to be simulated.
• Before presenting the elements of this
terminology, it is necessary to present the DES
modelling process.
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 DES Modelling Process
• DES modelling process includes four phases
– Building a conceptual model: that is a qualitative
description of the model to be developed.
– Building a computer model: that is the implementation
of the simulation model on a computer
– Solution and understanding: that is validation and
experimentation with the model with the aim to obtain a
better understanding of the real world situation and/or
find solutions to the problem under investigation
– Implementation: that is execution in the real world of
actions derived from the model in order to improve the
performance of the real world system.
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 Conceptual Modelling
• The first step in DES is to build a conceptual
model.
• The conceptual model represents a qualitative
description of the structure of the part of the real
world (the system) being simulated.
• The structure includes the different objects
involved in the real world situation, the
transformations which occur on the states of
these objects over time, and the rules
determining the interaction between the different
objects in the real world.
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 Objects of the System
• The objects, which constitute a system to be
simulate are as follows
– Entities: These represent the individual elements of
the system that are being simulated and whose
behaviour is explicitly tracked.
– Examples may include passengers in an airport, cars
in a factory, ships in a port and so on.
– During a simulation, the computer will keep
information about the state of each entity in the
system.
– The overall state of the system is the result of
interaction between the different entities in the
system.
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 Resources
• Resources represent individual elements in the system,
but they are not modelled separately.
• They are treated as countable items whose individual
behaviour is not tracked individually in the simulation
program. Examples include the number of workers in a
factory or the number of unloading bays in a depot.
• Therefore, a resource consists of a number of identical
items and the computer keeps a count on how many are
available, but does not track the individual progress of
each item.
• A modeller has to decide whether an element in the
system should be modelled as an entity or as a
resource. This depends on the objective of the
simulation model.
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 Operations of the Entities
• As the simulation proceeds, entities cooperate
and, as a result, change state.
• These changes in the entities states are
represented by the following terminology
– Event: This is an instant of time at which a significant
state change occurs in the system, such as when an
operation begins.
– Activity: Entities engage in operations during the
simulation and some of these operations define
important events in the simulation. Actions and
procedures that are initiated at each event are called
activities.
– These activities change the states of the entities.
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 Activity Cycle Diagram
• In DES, entities interact through simulated time
and, as a result, change state.
• Therefore, to build a simulation model, it is
necessary to represent the entities, their
activities, and the linkages between different
entities and activities.
• This first step generate a core model from which
the model can be built an expanded.
• One of the most important tools to build these
conceptual models is known as “Activity Cycle
Diagram (ACD)
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 Terminology of ACDs
• ACDs represent the entities in a system and the
interaction between these entities.
• The ACD is a map, that shows the life history of
each class of entity and display their interaction.
• Each class of entity is considered to have a life
cycle that consists of a series of states.
• Entities move from state to state as their life
proceeds in a sequence of alternative active and
dead states.
• Time moves forward in the simulation as entities
spend time in these states.
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 Representation of States in the ACD

• ACDs make use of only two symbols:

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Example :The Harassed Booking Clerk
• A theatre employs a booking clerk during the
day. The clerk is employed to sell tickets and
answer any enquiries which may arise.
Bookings are accepted only if a customer turns
up in person and pays for the ticket. Enquiries
can come either from someone there in person
or from someone phoning the theatre. Calls are
put in a queue and no caller ring off out of
frustration. Persons arriving to the theatre
queue before they are served by the clerk.
Draw the ACD for this system
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 Entities and States
• The entities in this system are
– The booking clerk
– The personal enquirers
– The phone calls
• States of the entity “Booking Clerk”
– Idle: Requires no other entity. Dead state
– Servicing a personal caller: Requires the
entity ” personal enquirer”. Active state
– Answering a phone call: Requires the entity ”
phone call”. Active state 13
 Entities and States (Continued)
• States of the entity “personal enquirer”
– Outside: Dead state
– Arrival: Active state (assumes to need an imaginary entity
outside the theatre)
– Queue for service: Dead state
– Serviced: Requires the entity ” booking clerk”. Active state
• States of the entity “phone call”
– Elsewhere: Dead state
– Call: Active state (assumes to need an imaginary entity
outside the theatre)
– Wait for service: Dead state
– Talk: Requires the entity ” booking clerk”. Active state
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 The Booking Clerk Activity Cycle
• The Clerk Activity Cycle is as follows

Service Idle Talk

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 The Personal Enquirer Activity Cycle

• The personal enquirer activity cycle is as

Arrival Service

Outside

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 The Phone Call Activity Cycle

• The phone call activity cycle is as follows

Wait

Call Talk

Elsewhere
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 The Activity Cycle Diagram (ACD) of the
Theatre Booking System
• The ACD of the theatre booking system is a combination
of the activity cycles of all entities
Wait
Queue

Arrive Service Idle Talk Call

Outside Elsewhere

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