Ingolf Ståhl

This paper is focused on the issue of how one can get Discrete Events Simulation (DES) more used in Business Schools, since this type of simulation allows students to do interesting simulation projects in companies. We list a great number of project topics that we in four countries have given our business students and which they have been able to carry out successfully as part of an introductory course, requiring one month of work. This list of topics can hopefully give also other students ideas for project work. For some of these topics we also bring out some interesting details. 

The paper first discusses the importance of discrete event simulation (DES) in the business school curriculum. It next notes how small Macintosh lap tops have become increasingly popular among business students. We next discuss what DES software is available on the Mac, first directly, then indirectly by running DES software for Windows in some way on the Mac. Noting that there is not much simple DES software on the Mac, but yet a great demand for such software from many business students, we turn to the transfer of one pedagogical software system, aGPSS, from Windows to the Mac. We here first give a brief historic background of aGPSS. Next we discuss some of the problems encountered when transferring aGPSS to the Mac. The paper ends with a brief discussion of some pedagogical aspects of using aGPSS on the Mac in the teaching of basic management science.

I summarize my experience from having taught simulation to over 7000 students for over 30 years; to undergraduate, graduate and Ph. D. business students, executives and high school students, in five countries. I discuss how my students differed from other simulation students and my general teaching goals. I answer the question of why Discrete Events Simulation is important at a business school. I present the five main types of course modules that I have taught. I finally discuss my choice of DES software, explaining why I have chosen to use a streamlined GUI based version of GPSS, WebGPSS. © 2007 IEEE.

A simulation model is successful if it leads to policy action, i.e., if it is implemented. Studies show that for a model to be implemented, it must have good correspondence with the mental model of the system held by the user of the model. The user must feel confident that the simulation model corresponds to this mental model. An understanding of how the model works is required. Simulation models for implementation must be developed step by step, starting with a simple model, the simulation prototype. After this has been explained to the user, a more detailed model can be developed on the basis of feedback from the user. Software for simulation prototyping is discussed, e.g., with regard to the ease with which models and output can be explained and the speed with which small models can be written.