§imulator - Process Modeling & Simulation in Excel®
| §imulator is a general-purpose, graphic process simulator which can be used for process & workflow modeling, simulation & active flowcharting. It uses flowcharting symbols to depict process flows & allows you to run & graphically monitor a simulation entirely within Excel®. |
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Features
§imulator utilises & relies on built-in features of Excel® & extends these with process modeling functions & a scheduling engine, which allows you to:
- design a flowchart using Excel® AutoShapes (flowchart symbols & connectors)
- assign process/simulation parameters in Excel® worksheets which are associated with the flowchart
- use the flowchart as the basis for process simulation
- run a simulation with a resolution between 1 second & 1 day, limited to integer units of duration
- optionally, animate the simulation as it runs, showing delays to approximately ±1 second per unit of duration
- view simulation results in Excel® worksheets &/or using PivotTable® & PivotChart® reports
Principle of Operation
§imulator builds a process model & runs a simulation according to the following principles:
- a flowchart is parsed & a process model consisting of nodes is generated based on its structure
- process/simulation parameters are assigned by default & modified by the user
- the process model is prepared for running a simulation
- the simulation is run by scheduling & executing events according to the process/simulation parameters
- during the simulation, units (objects) are created & passed through the network of nodes in the process model
- as the simulation progresses, data are collected at each event
- these data, i.e. the simulation results, can be viewed & analysed during, or on completion of, the simulation
Examples
Our DOWNLOADS section contains free examples of process models for running sample simulations:
- Premium Service Helpdesk - Resources Work Without Break
- Premium Service Helpdesk - Resources Take Regular Break
- Telemarketing Call Center - Resources with Various Skills
- Network Traffic - Packet Transmission Delays
- Traffic Intersection - Stop Signs
- Traffic Intersection - Traffic Lights
- Traffic Circle - Roundabout
Technical Implementation
- Microsoft® Office Excel Add-In
- implemented entirely in Microsoft® Visual Basic for Applications
- designed for Microsoft® Excel 2003 under Microsoft® Windows XP
- backward compatible with Microsoft® Office Excel 97
Recommended System Configuration
- Microsoft® Windows XP
- Microsoft® Excel 2003
- CPU > 1 GHz
Support
- support of §imulator is provided in English in an English language environment of Microsoft® Excel 2003 under Microsoft® Windows XP
- best efforts support is provided for other combinations of Windows® operating system & Microsoft® Office Excel
Microsoft, Windows, Office, Excel, Visual Basic, PivotTable & PivotChart are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.