Enhancing Simulation In Complex Systems
Author(s)
R. M. Alqirem
Abstract
Simulation is an important tool in understanding and designing physical systems,
engineering systems and social systems. Because of its importance and broad
range, it has been the subject of numerous research studies and books.
Simulation is about techniques for using computers to imitate (simulate) the
operations of various kinds of real world complex systems. It has been an
accepted tool for the improvement of decision making through learning how to
deal with the complexity of the real world. The complexity slows the learning
loop and reduces the learning gained on each cycle.
This paper illustrates the importance of system thinking in enhancing the
simulation process and providing the ability to see the world as a complex
system, where \“you cannot just do one thing” and that \“everything is connected
to everything else”. It is a holistic worldview that enables people to act in
consonance with the best interests of the system as a whole and thus enhance the
learning loop through various system thinking tools. The case study in this paper
illustrated the use of a system dynamics simulator to allow the financial manager
in a firm to test different account receivables scenarios and the strategies to
control these accounts. We found that this simulator has helped the manager to
get a deeper insight into the effect of their decisions and the different interrelated
variables that involve with setting a strategy to control account receivables.
Keywords: systems thinking, complex systems, systems dynamics, simulation.
1 Introduction
As the world becomes more complex, many people and organisations find
themselves bombarded with lots of problems to solve, less time to solve them,
and very few chances to learn from their mistakes. Managers will need to deal
with complexity and with these changes. Also they need to develop their new
Keywords
systems thinking, complex systems, systems dynamics, simulation
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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