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GoldSim Tutorial Model Building Tips for Organiz
ations Creating Models that can be Easily Shared
and Reused

GoldSim User Conference San Francisco, CA Octobe
r 25-26, 2007

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Overview

• Why Would I Want to Make My Models Easier to
  Share and Reuse?
  
• How Can I Make My Models Easier to Share and
  Reuse?
  
• Discussion of Modeling, Documentation, and Style
  Conventions
  
• Creating a Model Library

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Why Would I Want to Make My Models Easier to
Share and Reuse?

• Models can be built faster (and in organizations
  with many GoldSim users, much faster)
  
• Consultants should be prepared to charge and
  end-users should be prepared to pay for value,
  not time
  
• Models will have less errors
• Modules can be extensively tested
• Models will become more realistic
• Time can be spent on improving models and making
  them better instead of reinventing the wheel
  
• Models that can be easily shared and reused
  generally are also models that are very
  transparent
  
• Transparent models are more likely to actually be
  used to support decision-making
  

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How Can I Make My Models Easier to Share and
Reuse?

• Build transparent models
• see Tauxe and Catlett presentation
• Be consistent
• Individual users should use a consistent set of
  modeling, documentation and style conventions
  
• Organizations with multiple users (or companies
  with multiple GoldSim consultants) should agree
  upon, document and enforce a consistent set of
  conventions

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Creating a Set of Conventions

• There is no one correct way to build a good
  model
  
• However, models must use a consistent set of
  conventions to be good models
  
• Models with multiple styles and sets of
  conventions are very difficult to use
  
• Within an organization, this will require
  meetings and negotiation
  
• Types of conventions to implement
• Model structure and organization
• Naming conventions
• Documentation conventions

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Creating a Set of Conventions (cont.)

• Do not over-specify the conventions
• If the rules are too rigid, they could have the
  effect of making some models less transparent
  
• The more restrictive the rules, the higher the
  likelihood that they will be ignored
  
• Lets examine some examples of the types of
  conventions you might specify
  

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Conventions for Model Structure and Organization

• Top-level organization of models

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Brief model description
However, keep in mind that often, a picture is
worth a 1000 words
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Conventions for Model Structure and Organization

• Top-level organization of models
• Use of Container protection

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Conventions for Model Structure and Organization

• Top-level organization of models
• Use of Container protection
• Cloning Data elements

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Cloning Data Elements in a Model
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Conventions for Model Structure and Organization

• Top-level organization of models
• Use of Container protection
• Cloning Data elements
• Use of cloned Containers

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Using Cloned Containers
Localized
Localized
A
B
A
B
Clone2
Clone1
X f(A,B)
X f(A,B)
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Conventions for Model Structure and Organization

• Top-level organization of models
• Use of Container protection
• Cloning Data elements
• Use of cloned Containers
• Use of hyperlinks as navigational aids

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Documentation Conventions

• Consistent set of documentation so that people
  always know how to dig deeper into the model
  
• Things to address
• How input data is documented (e.g., notes with
  hyperlinks)
  
• Use of Descriptions and Notes
• Use of Text Boxes and Graphics
• Use of Hyperlinks
• Use of custom images for elements
• Use only at high levels
• Create an image library

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Naming Conventions

• One of the easiest ways to build consistent
  models that can be shared
  
• Examples
• Inflow_xxx
• Expense_xxx
• Volume_xxx
• This not only makes the models easier for others
  to understand, but it should help you better
  understand and navigate your own models

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Rules for Building Dashboards

• Create a template that everyone uses
• Specify style guidelines (e.g., documentation,
  navigation)

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Developing a Model Library

• Facilitates rapid development and sharing of
  models
  
• Leverages prior work and maintains consistency
• A gatekeeper should be identified to make sure
  only high quality models are posted
  
• There are intellectual property (IP) issues that
  must be considered
  
• We will discuss this in the Panel Discussion

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Final Words

• Building models that can be shared and reused has
  very clear advantages
  
• Doing so requires creation of some standards and
  procedures (none of which are onerous)
  
• I have yet to see this happen in any organization