A synthesized method for conducting a business process simulation study

Abstract

When a company wants to use business process simulation to support decision-making, a simulation study needs to be conducted. Using a clear stepwise method can avoid overlooking key activities during the simulation study and improves the study’s credibility towards decision-makers or project sponsors. In this tutorial, a method to perform a simulation study is proposed, which consists of nine steps and uses continuous assessment as a central feedback mechanism. It synthesizes existing methods proposed in literature and positions the actual construction of a simulation model in specialized software in a wider perspective. Given the method’s high-level nature, its operationalization is illustrated making use of a real-life simulation study at the emergency department of a hospital, showing that the relative weight of different steps in the method depends upon the project’s specificities.