Bringing students to practice: performing a real-life simulation study in an introductory simulation course

Abstract

Business process simulation can support the analysis and improvement of business processes and, hence, is a valuable technique to teach to students. Consequently, introductory simulation courses are included in a multitude of study programs. Besides providing students with theoretical knowledge and getting them acquainted with simulation software, it is also important to let them experience the complexity involved in conducting a simulation study in practice. In this respect, this paper outlines the inclusion of a real-life simulation study in an introductory simulation course. Besides the content of the simulation study, the instructional design, student feedback, company feedback and challenges perceived by the instructor are outlined. Student feedback shows that, even though the project was perceived as highly challenging, conducting the real-life simulation study provided extensive learning opportunities.