Simulation Data Analysis

Paulus Tangkere
Industrial Model Simulation
Session 5

Simulation Data
Data Types
Input Data that affect the systems
performance
Output Data are generally used to
measure performance levels

Data Sources
Collection
Generated

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Input Data Analysis

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Input data provide the driving force

for a simulation model.
A fundamental concept to define the
input data is to break down the types
of data into as many different
independent types as possible.
The analyst must be prepared to identify types
of input data particular to the specific project.

Input Data Categories

System Entities elements that are
processed by the system.

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customers, passengers, job orders, time

between arrivals to the system, the number of
entities in an arrival, and entity processing
times.

System Resources parts of the system that

process the system entities.
personnel, manufacturing equipment, vehicles,
break times, breakdown or failure rates,
operating capacities, and movement speeds.

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1. Collect data from the real system

requires a substantial time and resource
commitment.
2. Identify a probability distribution to
represent the input process frequency
distribution or histogram of the data.
3. Choose parameters that determine a
specific instance of the distribution family
4. Evaluate the chosen distribution and the
associated parameters for good-of-fit.

Sources for Input Data

Historical records
Manufacturer specifications
Vendor claims
Operator estimates
Management estimates
Automatic data capture
Direct observation

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Collecting Input Data

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Data collection devices either

manually or with the assistance of
electronic devices.
Time collection mode and units time
intervals and types of units to use.
Other data collection considerations
unbiased data and avoid process
disruption.

Distribution Families
Common
Uniform
Bernoulli
Normal
Lognormal
Exponential
Poisson

Special
Gamma
Beta
Erlang
Weibull
Triangular

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Distribution Tests
1.
2.
3.
4.

Graphic approach
Chi-square test
KolmogorovSmirnov test
Square error

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Output Data Analysis

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Output analysis deals with drawing

inferences about the actual system
based on the simulation output be
careful in interpreting the simulation
results.
The most valuable benefit from
simulation is to gain insight, not
necessarily to find absolute answers.

Output Data Analysis

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To provide decision recommendations

with respect to the objectives of the
simulation project one or more
performance measures for the system.
Depends on objectives of the simulation
study and nature of the system, types
simulation can be classified into
Terminating simulation
Non-terminating simulation

Terminating Simulation

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Runs over the simulation time, T(E), E is a

specified event that stop the simulation. Ex.
Bank office hours.
The analysis process of terminating
simulation consist of following steps
1.
2.
3.
4.

Replication analysis
Production simulation runs
Statistical analysis of the simulation run results
Economic analysis of statistical analysis results

Non-terminating
Simulation

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Run continuously over a long period of

time.
The analysis process of non-terminating
simulation consist of following steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Starting conditions
Determining steady state
Addressing autocorrelation
Length of replication
Batching method

Case Service Station

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Case Service Station

Min :
Max :
Mean:
Stdev:

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8
3,125
2,295

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Case Service Station

Min :
Max :
Mean:
Stdev:

1
8
3,125
2,295

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Distribution Function
UNIFORM
p(x) = 12,5%; x=1,....,8

Case 2 Assembly line

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A robot is used to install the doors on automobiles along an assembly
line. It was thought that the installation times followed a normal
distribution. The robot is capable of measuring installation times
accurately.
A sample of 20 installation times was automatically taken by the robot,
with the following results, where the values are in seconds:

Case 2 Assembly line

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Case 3 Assembly line

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