Considerations in Using a Simulation Consultant

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Considerations in Using a Simulation Consultant

• Jerry Banks

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Dangerous Company

• OShea and Madigan
• OR/MS Today
• April, 1998

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Define your problem or need

• Problem that cannot be articulated cannot be
  solved
• Need a written requirements document
• If this has not been done, its too early to call
  in a consultant

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Define your problem or need

• Do you understand everything about the problem?
  
• Is further research required before the problem
  can be adequately defined?
• Doesnt make sense to build a model if important
  pieces of the system are unknown or ill defined

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Define your problem or need

• What do you want the consultant to accomplish?
• The first rule of consulting is to know the
  desired goal
• What level of detail is expected of the model
  logic and capabilities?
• Perhaps the most important decision made early in
  the process

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Define your problem or need

• What are the bounds of the consultants
  responsibility?
• Do they first need to develop a document defining
  the system ?
• Who does what?

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Define your problem or need

• How should the model be tested?
• How much analysis is expected?
• Who can provide the system expertise needed for
  the tests?

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Define your problem or need

• Is simulation the correct technology to solve
  your problem?
• What are the alternatives?

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Define your problem or need

• What are the characteristics of a successful
  solution?
• Knowing what you are really trying to accomplish
  is essential to a successful consulting project

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Can we solve the problem internally?

• High set-up cost
• If you could use simulation on three or four
  similar problems a year, you can probably justify
  building the necessary internal expertise

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Can we solve the problem internally?

• Want to build internal capability?
• Internal engineer works closely with the
  consultant

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Can we solve the problem internally?

• If you use a consultant you will need to document
  and teach the consultant about the details

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What kind of simulation consultant do you want?

• Do you need more than model building?
• Engineering
• Design
• Project management
• Data collection
• Do you need someone already familiar with your
  industry and problems?

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What kind of simulation consultant do you want?

• Consider
• Schedule availability
• Total cost
• Related experience
• Referrals from previous related projects

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What kind of simulation consultant do you want?

• Academic
• Sole practitioner
• Simulation vendor
• Independent firm
• Simulation only
• Simulation plus

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What kind of simulation consultant do you want?

• Is this their primary business?
• How many years experience in simulation do they
  have?
• Do they have the necessary technical resources
  (people) and software?
• With which software do they have expertise?
• Are these appropriate to your needs?

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What kind of simulation consultant do you want?

• Have they completed similar projects?
• Can they provide references?
• Who will actually do the work?
• Do they have a well defined project methodology?
  
• What do they propose to do?
• How do they price a project?

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What does the simulation consultant propose to do?

• Expect a written proposal
• Budget price
• Fixed price
• Time and materials price
• Guarantee
• Pay only if you are satisfied.

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What does the simulation consultant propose to do?

• Is the cost greater than possible savings?
• Is the size of the consultants organization
  appropriate to your project needs?
• If someone is ill, is there capacity to fill in?
• What will it cost you to support the consultant?

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What does the simulation consultant propose to do?

• Projects evolve
• How will this evolution be handled in project
  scope, responsibility, and pricing?

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What does the simulation consultant propose to do?

• Model builders vs system designers

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Is the proposed solution unique?

• If a consultant has experience with your type of
  problem
• May have developed special tools to solve your
  problem quickly
• Shorter schedule
• Possibly, lower overall project cost

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Is the proposed solution unique?

• Make sure that the final model is specific for
  your problem
• Off the shelf model rarely suitable for a new
  project with no changes

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How do we manage the consultant?

• Self-managing, free-rein
• Not a good approach
• Simulation projects require
• Careful planning
• Review
• Execution

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How do we manage the consultant?

• Project specification document
• Design requirements
• Inputs and
• Outputs
• Project schedule
• Responsibilities

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How do we manage the consultant?

• Progress reports
• Meetings
• Review progress
• Discuss issues
• If case of disagreement
• Listen to the consultants advice
• But, youre paying the bills
• So, youre calling the shots

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How do we manage the consultant?

• Who is to complete the data collection?
• Is the analysis limited to a specific number of
  days?
• Who runs the model experiments?
• Who conducts the final presentation?

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How do we manage the consultant?

• Is there on-going support required if you elect
  to continue to use the model after the project is
  completed?
• Who owns the model?
• Will the source code be delivered?

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How involved in the project do you want to be?

• Do you buy a completed model and do the analysis?
• Do you let the consultants do all of the work?

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How involved in the project do you want to be?

• Would you choose to be uninvolved with the
  architect who you have hired to build your home?
  
• Probably not
• The more involved the client is with the
  project, the better it turns out and the more the
  client gets out of the process

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What to do if things arent going as expected?

• Hopefully, you have a project requirements
  document
• Intermediate review dates
• Tasks to be completed at each milestone

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What to do if things arent going as expected?

• Project problems usually result from
• Inappropriate expectations
• Falling behind schedule
• Inability to test and validate the model

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What to do if things arent going as expected?

• Project requirements should avoid the first two
  problem types
• Selecting an experienced and highly recommended
  consultant (rather than selecting only on the
  basis of availability or cost) is your best
  insurance against the last problem type

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How to insure that the promises of the consultant
are achieved?

• Complete a written project specification
• Dont proceed without it
• Stay involved during the project
• Determine how the model will be validated
• Complete a model test and verification plan
• Allow contingency time in your project schedule
  for unexpected or additional tasks at the end

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How much involvement is required after completion?

• Typically, additional analysis questions arise
• Agree at the outset on the cost
• Consultant on call for 90 days
• Logic errors will be fixed

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How much involvement is required after completion?

• Will training in the use of the model be
  included?
• Who will write the final project report?
• Will the consultant be needed to assist with
  management presentations?

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Conclusion

• Simulation modeling technology can provide great
  benefit to a wide variety of otherwise difficult
  problems
• Simulation consultants can provide an invaluable
  service to help you apply this technology
• Simulation consultants are most effective when
  the project is properly defined and the user
  stays involved.

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End