When simulation is appropriate Tool?

The availability of special-purpose simulation languages, massive computing capabilities at a decreasing cost per operation, and advances in simulation methodologies have made simulation one of the most widely used and accepted tools in operations research and systems analysis. Simulation can be used for the following purposes:

1. Simulation enables the study of, and experimentation with, the internal interactions of a complex system, or of a subsystem within a complex system.

2. Informational, organizational, and environmental changes can be simulated, and the effect of these alterations on the model's behavior can be observed.

3. The knowledge gained in designing a simulation model may be of great value toward suggesting improvement in the system under investigation.

4. By changing simulation inputs and observing the resulting outputs, valuable insight may be obtained into which variables are most important and how variables interact.

5. Simulation can be used to experiment with new designs or policies prior to implementation, so as to prepare for what may happen.

6. Simulation can be used to verify analytic solutions.

7. By simulating different capabilities for a machine, requirements can be determined.

8. Simulation models designed for training allow learning without the cost and disruption of on-the-job learning.