ISE 5424 Simulation I

Fall 2013
Instructor:
Dr. Laurel Travis, Durham 119, ltravis@vt.edu,
Office hours: T 1:30pm-3:00, W 12:30pm-2:00pm, and by appointment.
Course Time and Location: TTh 11:00-12:15 p.m., Randolph Hall 216
Course Summary: This is a hands-on course on computer simulation of manufacturing
and service systems that are subject to uncertainty. Discrete event simulation using Simio
will be the studied in depth. Analysis topics will include input and output modeling, as
well as generation of random variates and optimization. Upon completion of the course,
students will be able to develop complex simulation models, design the simulation
experiments to be run on the models, and statistically analyze and interpret the results.
Managerial decision making will be emphasized throughout project design, modeling,
and analysis. Examples and case studies will cover public and private sector
applications.
Prerequisites: Graduate level skills in computing, probability, and statistics. It is
recommended that students have taken a probability course at the level of ISE 5415.
Objective: Students should understand and be able to integrate, apply, and explain
modeling and analysis methodology of discrete event simulation at a level of an industrial
consulting project. Analysis techniques should be understood at a level that provides a
solid basis for further graduate-level study.
Course materials:

Modeling text. Joines, Jeffrey, and Roberts, Dean, Simulation Modeling with
Simio: A Workbook, 2nd ed. (The text can be ordered in hardcopy or as an ebook
here: www.simio.com/publications/)

Analysis text. Nelson, Barry, 2013. Foundations and Methods of Stochastic

Simulation; A First Course. Springer. ISBN-10: 1461461596 | ISBN-13: 9781461461593

Software. Students will be able to download Simio for $25.

Lecture Overheads and Assignments. VT Scholar will be used for distribution

of class materials.

Grading: Each of the following 6 items will be weighted equally:

Project 1 Model 1 with simple analysis
Project 2 Model 2
Project 3 In-depth analysis of model 2
Project 4 a.k.a. take-home final (topic selected by student)
Analysis Exam
Simio exercises and presentation
Schedule of Topics: Each class day we will spend some time on discrete event
simulation modeling using Simio and some time on simulation analysis and context.
The simulation modeling topics will include, but not be limited to:

Basic modeling including standard library objects and entity flow and animation
Data structures including schedules, rate tables, state variables, tally statistics
Add-on processes
Use of resources, transporters, and conveyors
Simio output features and analysis tools including subset selection and
optimization
Creation of custom objects

Analysis and context topics will include, but not be limited to:

Fundamentals of simulation; what and why do we simulate, and how does it

work? Examples, performance measures, discrete event scheduling, random
variate generation. Asymptotics. (Nelson, Ch. 1-3, 5)
Input analysis (Nelson, Ch. 6)
Simulation output analysis; risk and error, point estimators and measures of error,
input uncertainty. (Nelson, Ch. 7)
Experiment design and analysis; replications and batch statistics, selecting among
alternatives and optimization. (Nelson, Ch. 8)

Rough Schedule of Due Dates: (CX = Simio model from Ch. X of Joines/Roberts. PX
= project X, V/O = training video or other Simio exercise) Any changes will be
announced in class.
Week

Tuesdays
Date

Thursdays Work
Date Due
Thursda
y
1
27-Aug
29-Aug C1
2
3-Sep
5-Sep C2
3
10-Sep
12-Sep C3
4
17-Sep
19-Sep P1
5
24-Sep
26-Sep C4
6
1-Oct
3-Oct V/O
7
8-Oct
10-Oct P2
8
15-Oct
17-Oct C5
9
22-Oct
24-Oct V/O
10
29-Oct
31-Oct P3
11
5-Nov
7-Nov Nothing
12
12-Nov
14-Nov Exam
13
19-Nov
21-Nov Break
Break
26-Nov
28-Nov C6
14
3-Dec
5-Dec V/O
reading
15
Nothing
10-Dec day
16 Exam week: Project 4
P4
(take-home final) due
Date
TBA

Policies:

Changes. Changes to the syllabus will be avoided; those that are made will be
announced in class.

Disabilities. Talk to me by the second day of class if you think you may need
accommodation for a disability.

Doing Independent Work. All work is to be completed and written up

independently unless stated otherwise. Discussion of concepts and solution
approaches is encouraged. Please give explicit credit to those whose ideas and

help you find useful. If you wonder whether your level of discussion of work is
appropriate, simply ask. The VT honor code applies to this course.