Article

Conceptual modeling for simulation: issues and research requirements

Author:

Stewart RobinsonAuthors Info & Claims

WSC '06: Proceedings of the 38th conference on Winter simulation

Pages 792 - 800

Published: 03 December 2006 Publication History

Abstract

It is generally recognized that conceptual modeling is one of the most vital parts of a simulation study. At the same time, it also seems to be one of the least understood. A review of the extant literature on conceptual modeling reveals a range of issues that need to be addressed: the definition of conceptual model(ling), conceptual model requirements, how to develop a conceptual model, conceptual model representation and communication, conceptual model validation, and teaching conceptual modeling. It is clear that this is an area ripe for further research, for the clarification of ideas and the development of new approaches. Some areas in which further research could be carried out are identified.

References

[1]

Balci, O. 1994. Validation, Verification, and Testing Techniques Throughout the Life Cycle of a Simulation Study. Annals of Operations Research, 53, 121--173.]]

[2]

Balci, O. 2001. A Methodology for Certification of Modeling and Simulation Applications. ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation, 11 (4), 352--37.]]

Digital Library

[3]

Balci, O. and R. E. Nance. 1985. Formulated Problem Verification as an Explicit Requirement of Model Credibility. Simulation, 45 (2), 76--86.]]

[4]

Brooks, R. J. and A. M. Tobias. 1996a. Choosing the Best Model: Level of Detail, Complexity and Model Performance. Mathematical and Computer Modeling, 24 (4), 1--14, 1996a.]]

Digital Library

[5]

Brooks, R. J. and A. M. Tobias. 1996b. A Framework for Choosing the Best Model Structure in Mathematical and Computer Modelling. Proceedings of the 6th Annual Conference AI, Simulation, and Planning in High Autonomy Systems. University of Arizona, 53--60.]]

[6]

Checkland, P. B. 1981. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. Wiley, Chichester, UK.]]

[7]

Chwif, L., M. R. P Barretto and R. J. Paul. 2000. On Simulation Model Complexity. Proceedings of the 2000 Winter Simulation Conference (J. A. Joines, R. R. Barton, K. Kang and P. A. Fishwick, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 449--455.]]

Digital Library

[8]

Courtois, P. J. 1985. On Time and Space Decomposition of Complex Structures. Communications of the ACM, 28 (6), 590--603.]]

Digital Library

[9]

Davies, R., P. Roderick and J. Raftery. 2003. The Evaluation of Disease Prevention and Treatment using Simulation Models. European Journal of Operational Research, 150, 53--66.]]

[10]

Evans, J. R. 1992. Creativity in MS/OR: Improving Problem Solving through Creative Thinking. Interfaces, 22 (2), 87--91.]]

Digital Library

[11]

Ferguson, P., W. S. Humphrey, S. Khajenoori, S. Macke and A. Matuya. 1997. Results of Applying the Personal Software Process. Computer, 5, 24--31.]]

Digital Library

[12]

Fishwick, P. A. 1995. Simulation Model Design and Execution: Building Digital Worlds. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.]]

Digital Library

[13]

Gass, S. I. and L. S. Joel. 1981. Concepts of Model Confidence. Computers and Operations Research, 8 (4), 341--346.]]

[14]

Guru, A. and P. Savory. 2004. A Template-Based Conceptual Modeling Infrastructure for Simulation of Physical Security Systems. Proceedings of the 2004 Winter Simulation Conference (R. G. Ingalls, M. D. Rossetti, J. S. Smith and B. A. Peters, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 866--873.]]

Digital Library

[15]

Haddix, F. 2001. Conceptual Modeling Revisited: A Developmental Model Approach for Modeling and Simulation. Proceedings of the 2001 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop. <www.sisostds.org> {Accessed March 2006}.]]

[16]

Henriksen, J. O. 1988. One System, Several Perspectives, Many Models. Proceedings of the 1988 Winter Simulation Conference (M. Abrams, P. Haigh and J. Comfort, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 352--356.]]

Digital Library

[17]

Henriksen, J. O. 1989. Alternative Modeling Perspectives: Finding the Creative Spark. Proceedings of the 1989 Winter Simulation Conference (E. A. MacNair, K. J. Musselman and P. Heidelberger, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 648--652.]]

Digital Library

[18]

Hills, P. R. 1971. HOCUS. P-E Group, Egham, Surrey, UK. Innis, G. and E. Rexstad. 1983. Simulation Model Simplification Techniques. Simulation, 41 (1), 7--15.]]

[19]

Kotiadis, K. 2006. Extracting a Conceptual Model for a Complex Integrated System in Healthcare. Proceedings of the Third Operational Research Society Simulation Workshop (SW06). The Operational Research Society, Birmingham, UK, 235--245.]]

[20]

Lacy, L. W., W. Randolph, B. Harris, S. Youngblood, J. Sheehan, R. Might and M. Metz. 2001. Developing a Consensus Perspective on Conceptual Models for Simulation Systems. Proceedings of the 2001 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop. <www.sisostds.org> {Accessed March 2006}.]]

[21]

Law, A. M. 1991. Simulation Model's Level of Detail Determines Effectiveness. Industrial Engineering, 23 (10), 16--18.]]

[22]

Law, A. M. and W. D. Kelton. 2000. Simulation Modeling and Analysis, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.]]

Digital Library

[23]

Morris, W. T. 1967. On the Art of Modeling. Management Science, 13 (12), B707--717.]]

Digital Library

[24]

Nance, R. E. 1994. The Conical Methodology and the Evolution of Simulation Model Development. Annals of Operations Research, 53, 1--45.]]

[25]

Nance, R. E. and Arthur, J. D. 2006. Software Requirements Engineering: Exploring the Role in Simulation Model Development. Proceedings of the Third Operational Research Society Simulation Workshop (SW06). The Operational Research Society, Birmingham, UK, 117--127.]]

[26]

Nydick, R. L., M. J. Liberatore and Q. B. Chung. 2002. Modeling by Elaboration: An Application To Visual Process Simulation. INFOR, 40 (4), 347--361.]]

[27]

Pace, D. K. 1999a. Development and Documentation of a Simulation Conceptual Model. Proceedings of the 1999 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop. <www.sisostds.org> {Accessed March 2006}.]]

[28]

Pace, D. K. 1999b. Use of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in Simulation Evaluation. Proceedings of the 1999 Fall Simulation Interoperability Workshop. <www.sisostds.org> {Accessed March 2006}.]]

[29]

Pace D. K. 2000. Simulation Conceptual Model Development. Proceedings of the 2000 Spring Simulation Interoperability Workshop. <www.sisostds.org> {Accessed March 2006}.]]

[30]

Pidd, M. 1999. Just Modeling Through: A Rough Guide to Modeling. Interfaces, 29 (2), 118--132.]]

Digital Library

[31]

Pidd, M. 2003. Tools for Thinking: Modelling in Management Science, 2nd ed. Wiley, Chichester, UK.]]

[32]

Pidd, M. 2004. Computer Simulation in Management Science, 5th ed. Wiley, Chichester, UK.]]

Digital Library

[33]

Pooley, R. J. 1991. Towards a Standard for Hierarchical Process Oriented Discrete Event Diagrams. Transactions of the Society for Computer Simulation, 8 (1), 1--41.]]

Digital Library

[34]

Powell, S. G. 1995. Six Key Modeling Heuristics. Interfaces, 25 (4), 114--125.]]

Digital Library

[35]

Pritsker, A. A. B. Model Evolution. 1986. A Rotary Table Case History. Proceedings of the 1986 Winter Simulation Conference (J. Wilson, J. Henriksen and S. Roberts, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 703--707.]]

Digital Library

[36]

Pritsker, A. A. B. 1998. Principles of Simulation Modeling. Handbook of Simulation (Banks, J., ed.). Wiley, New York, 31--51.]]

[37]

Robinson, S. 1994. Simulation Projects: Building the Right Conceptual Model. Industrial Engineering, 26 (9), 34--36.]]

[38]

Robinson, S. 2002. Modes of Simulation Practice: Approaches to Business and Military Simulation. Simulation Practice and Theory, 10, 513--523.]]

[39]

Robinson, S. 2004. Simulation: The Practice of Model Development and Use. Wiley, Chichester, UK.]]

Digital Library

[40]

Robinson, S. 2005. Distributed Simulation and Simulation Practice. Simulation: Transactions of the Society for Modeling and Computer Simulation, 81 (1), 5--13.]]

Digital Library

[41]

Robinson, S. and M. Pidd. 1998. Provider and Customer Expectations of Successful Simulation Projects. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 49 (3), 200--209.]]

[42]

Rosenhead, J. and J. Mingers. 2001. Rational Analysis for a Problematic World Revisited, 2nd ed. Wiley, Chichester, UK.]]

[43]

Ryan, J. and Heavey, C. 2006. Requirements Gathering for Simulation. Proceedings of the Third Operational Research Society Simulation Workshop (SW06). The Operational Research Society, Birmingham, UK, 175--184.]]

[44]

Salt, J. 1993. Simulation Should be Easy and Fun. Proceedings of the 1993 Winter Simulation Conference (G. W. Evans, M. Mollaghasemi, E. C. Russell, W. E. Biles, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 1--5.]]

Digital Library

[45]

Sargent, R. G. 2004. Validation and Verification of Simulation Models. Proceedings of the 2004 Winter Simulation Conference (R. G. Ingalls, M. D. Rossetti, J. S. Smith and B. A. Peters, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 17--28.]]

Digital Library

[46]

Schmeiser, B. W. 2001. Some Myths and Common Errors in Simulation Experiments. Proceedings of the 2001 Winter Simulation Conference (B. A. Peters, J. S. Smith, D. J. Medeiros and M. W. Rohrer, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 39--46.]]

Digital Library

[47]

Schruben, L. and E. Yücesan. 1993. Complexity of Simulation Models: A Graph Theoretic Approach. Proceedings of the 1993 Winter Simulation Conference (G. W. Evans, M. Mollaghasemi, E. C. Russell and W. E. Biles, eds.). IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 641--649.]]

Digital Library

[48]

Sevinc, S. 1990. Automation of Simplification in Discrete Event Modeling and Simulation. International Journal of General Systems, 18, 125--142.]]

[49]

Shannon, R. E. 1975. Systems Simulation: The Art and Science. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.]]

[50]

Sterman, J. D. 2000. Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World. Irwin/McGraw-Hill, New York.]]

Digital Library

[51]

Teeuw, W. B. and H. van den Berg. 1997. On the Quality of Conceptual Models. Proceedings of the ER'97 Workshop on Behavioral Models and Design Transformations: Issues and Opportunities in Conceptual Modeling (S. W. Liddle, ed.). <osm7.cs.byu.edu/ER97/workshop4/> {Accessed March 2006}.]]

[52]

van der Zee, D. J. 2006. Building Communicative Models - A Job Oriented Approach to Manufacturing Simulation. Proceedings of the Third Operational Research Society Simulation Workshop (SW06). The Operational Research Society, Birmingham, UK, 185--194.]]

[53]

van der Zee, D. J. and G. A. J. van der Vorst. 2005. A Modeling Framework for Supply Chain Simulation: Opportunities for Improved Decision Making. Decision Sciences, 36 (1), 65--95.]]

[54]

Wang, W. and Brooks, R. J. 2006. Improving the Understanding of Conceptual Modelling. Proceedings of the Third Operational Research Society Simulation Workshop (SW06). The Operational Research Society, Birmingham, UK, 227--234.]]

[55]

Ward, S. C. 1989. Arguments for Constructively Simple Models. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 40 (2), 141--153.]]

[56]

Willemain, T. R. 1994. Insights on Modeling from a Dozen Experts. Operations Research, 42 (2), 213--222.]]

Digital Library

[57]

Yin, H. Y. and Z. N. Zhou. 1989. Simplification Techniques of Simulation Models. Proceedings of Beijing International Conference on System Simulation and Scientific Computing, 782--786.]]

[58]

Zeigler, B. P. 1976. Theory of Modeling and Simulation. Wiley, New York.]]

Digital Library

Cited By

Url PPaal SRosenzopf TFurian NVorraber WVoessner SToedtling MZefferer USchaefer U(2021)Using simulation models as early strategic decision support in health careProceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/3522802.3522861(1-12)Online publication date: 13-Dec-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3522802.3522861
Mykoniatis KAngelopoulou A(2020)A modeling framework for the application of multi-paradigm simulation methodsSimulation10.1177/003754971984333996:1(55-73)Online publication date: 18-Jun-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1177/0037549719843339
van der Zee DTako ARobinson SFishwick PRose OJohansson BJain S(2018)PanelProceedings of the 2018 Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/3320516.3320992(3987-4001)Online publication date: 9-Dec-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3320516.3320992
Show More Cited By

Recommendations

Conceptual modeling for simulation
WSC '13: Proceedings of the 2013 Winter Simulation Conference: Simulation: Making Decisions in a Complex World

Conceptual modeling is the abstraction of a simulation model from the real world system that is being modeled; in other words, choosing what to model, and what not to model. This is generally agreed to be the most difficult, least understood and most ...
A tutorial on simulation conceptual modeling
WSC '17: Proceedings of the 2017 Winter Simulation Conference

Conceptual modeling is the abstraction of a simulation model from the part of the real world it is representing; in other words, choosing what to model, and what not to model. This is generally agreed to be the most difficult, least understood, but ...
A tutorial on conceptual modeling for simulation
WSC '15: Proceedings of the 2015 Winter Simulation Conference

Conceptual modeling is the abstraction of a simulation model from the part of the real world it is representing; in other words, choosing what to model, and what not to model. This is generally agreed to be the most difficult, least understood and most ...

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

WSC '06: Proceedings of the 38th conference on Winter simulation

December 2006

2429 pages

ISBN:1424405017

Editors:
L. Felipe Perrone
Bucknell University
,
Barry G. Lawson
University of Richmond
,
Jason Liu
Colorado School of Mines
,
Frederick P. Wieland
Sensis Corporation
,
General Chair:
David Nicol
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
,
Program Chair:
Richard Fujimoto
College of Computing, Georgia Tech

Sponsors

IIE: Institute of Industrial Engineers
ASA: American Statistical Association
IEICE ESS: Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Engineering Sciences Society
IEEE-CS\DATC: The IEEE Computer Society
SIGSIM: ACM Special Interest Group on Simulation and Modeling
NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology
(SCS): The Society for Modeling and Simulation International
INFORMS-CS: Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences-College on Simulation

Publisher

Winter Simulation Conference

Publication History

Published: 03 December 2006

Check for updates

Qualifiers

Article

Conference

WSC06

Sponsor:

IIE
ASA
IEICE ESS
IEEE-CS\DATC
SIGSIM
NIST
(SCS)
INFORMS-CS

WSC06: Winter Simulation Conference 2006

December 3 - 6, 2006

California, Monterey

Acceptance Rates

WSC '06 Paper Acceptance Rate 177 of 252 submissions, 70%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 3,413 of 5,075 submissions, 67%

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

27
Total Citations
View Citations
1,292
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)3
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)2

Reflects downloads up to 07 Mar 2025

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Url PPaal SRosenzopf TFurian NVorraber WVoessner SToedtling MZefferer USchaefer U(2021)Using simulation models as early strategic decision support in health careProceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/3522802.3522861(1-12)Online publication date: 13-Dec-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3522802.3522861
Mykoniatis KAngelopoulou A(2020)A modeling framework for the application of multi-paradigm simulation methodsSimulation10.1177/003754971984333996:1(55-73)Online publication date: 18-Jun-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1177/0037549719843339
van der Zee DTako ARobinson SFishwick PRose OJohansson BJain S(2018)PanelProceedings of the 2018 Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/3320516.3320992(3987-4001)Online publication date: 9-Dec-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3320516.3320992
Blas MGonnet SLeone HZeigler BJohansson BJain S(2018)A conceptual framework to classify the extensions of DEVS formalism as variants and subclassesProceedings of the 2018 Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/3320516.3320593(560-571)Online publication date: 9-Dec-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3320516.3320593
Padilla JDiallo SLynch CGore R(2018)Observations on the practice and profession of modeling and simulationSimulation10.1177/003754971773715994:6(493-506)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1177/0037549717737159
van der Zee D(2017)Approaches for simulation model simplificationProceedings of the 2017 Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/3242181.3242549(1-12)Online publication date: 3-Dec-2017
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/3242181.3242549
Erdem MKiraz AEski HÇiftçi ÖKubat C(2016)A conceptual framework for cloud-based integration of Virtual laboratories as a multi-agent system approachComputers and Industrial Engineering10.1016/j.cie.2016.04.011102:C(452-457)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.cie.2016.04.011
Turner AMavris D(2015)Conceptual modeling and validation of a HA/DR scenario using a weighted system decomposition modelProceedings of the 2015 Winter Simulation Conference10.5555/2888619.2888905(2487-2498)Online publication date: 6-Dec-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2888619.2888905
Gore RDiallo SPadilla J(2014)ConceVEACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation10.1145/256789724:2(1-17)Online publication date: 1-Feb-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2567897
Orta ERuiz MHurtado NGawn D(2014)Decision-making in IT service managementDecision Support Systems10.1016/j.dss.2014.06.00266:C(36-51)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.dss.2014.06.002
Show More Cited By

View Options

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

eReader

View online with eReader.

Figures

Tables

Media

View Table of Conten