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Introducing New Users to Simio - Comparing Simio to Excel


MarcoJHB

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Hi all,


I'm setting up a presentation to get accross the benefits of using Simio over Excel. They are pretty stubborn, as they've been using Excel for years now for project predictions. I just wanted to know has anyone here been in a similar predicament? If so, what tools (examples, interective games, slides, etc) did you use to get your point accross?


I've set up a presentation, using old project examples as well as the benefits of the analytical vs simulation approaches, just wondered if there's anything else that I'm missing.


Thanks!

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Simio's two key advantages are the ability to handle complex situations and the ability to properly deal with variation. There are many slide sets and models available dealing with variability.

You might consider looking at the Process Improvement Principles e-book included with the Simio software and its examples, included in the Examples folder, for some good illustrations.

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The most outstanding difference between simio and excel is the animation capability of simio. In this respect, using simio is like a test drive instead using excel is like an ad hoc query. Only this difference is enough for using simio instead of excel. Other than this simio's random number generator engine (which is the core mechanism for most simulation studies) is much more reliable than does excel (its period is very short and thus unreliable for large simulations in fact). By using simio you can develop the models much more easily even the complex ones which is almost impossible in excel (i.e., you are not enabled to include complex dynamic behaviors in excel). You also can customize and extend simio much more easily. And output analysis is very very simple in simio. For example, in order to get time persistent statistics you have to enter the formulas exactly in excel. In simio you only need to define and use statestatistics. For me, excel can be used for educational purposes (i.e., especially for discussing how to develop monte carlo simulations instead of discrete event simulations). Thus, Simio is almost limitless and thus incomparable...

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