Tips & Tricks for 2006

Title

Description

Transforming transactions

Implicitly transform transactions as they flow through a process.

Transforming transactions with attributes

Use attributes to explicitly transform transactions as they flow through a process.

Routing transactions by attribute

Route transactions depending on the value of a transaction attribute.

Transactions that renege or abandon

Model transactions (e.g. calls) that abandon if they wait too long in a queue.

Batching transactions by time

Make transactions wait until a specific time of day before being processed.

Simple branching and joining

One method for branching transactions that are later joined back together.

More branching and joining

Three methods for splitting transactions for parallel processing then joining the transactions later.

Controlling one flow with another

Model process behavior using scenario attributes that control the process flow.

Stopping transaction flow

When necessary, one flow can stop related transactions moving through another flow.

High priority transactions

Model transactions that have priority over other transactions.

Title

Description

Acquiring and releasing resources

Acquire and hold a resource to perform multiple activities on a transaction.

Department dedicated resources

After a transaction acquires a resource always use the same resource in the future.

Scheduled and unscheduled downtime

Model resources that are periodically unavailable due to scheduled maintenance or random breakdowns.

Schedules and shifts

Model separate pools of workers in the same department with different work schedules.

Resource contention

Define separate process flows that contend for the same resource.

Part time resources

Define and use resources that are only available for a portion of the day.

Title

Description

Analyzing cycle and service time

Report both cycle time (which includes inactive time) and service time (which excludes inactive time).

Eliminating warm-up time

Gather simulation results after a startup and stabilization time period has elapsed.

Analyzing costs

Report and analyze process and activity costs in order to maximize profits.

Measuring part of a flow

Use monitors to focus analysis and reporting on a small portion of the process map.

Title

Description

Modeling hierarchy

Create hierarchical process models where activities call subordinate processes.

Modeling activity capacity

Model special activities that have limited capacity not related to worker availability.