Simulation Analysis with BPMN

Simulation technically isn't part of BPMN, but it is a common feature of many modeling tools. Surprisingly, few know how to do it correctly. In this part of the training, we show you how.

Simulation analysis means assigning parameters to your BPMN model - resources assigned to each activity, their costs and work hours and number available, the average duration of each activity, probabilities of each path in a gateway, event probabilities, etc. Then you run the model through a simulatin engine, processing many instances, which generates the KPIs used to measure process performance. The Process Modeler tool provides many out-of-the-box reports, plus the raw simulation data needed to create custom reports and charts.

The specific parameters, KPIs, reports and charts you need depend on the type of analysis you are trying to do. Simulation Analysis with BPMN takes you through two distinct use cases. The first, the kind most BPM consultants focus on in process improvement projects, looks to improve cycle time by reducing inefficiencies in the process model. The second focuses on process bottlenecks caused by resource contention - too few staff at a particular step in the process to handle the volume. We show you how to use simulation analysis to look at the cost/cycle time tradeoffs, optimize resource utilization, and allocate costs using activity-based costing.

Although the principles we show you are applicable in general, the specific procedures here depend on features of the Process Modeler for Visio tool. You'll learn how to set up the parameters for each of the 3 use cases described above, and how to create the custom Excel reqports and charts required to analyze the simulation output. Version 3.0 of the training provides additional support files for simulation analysis, including sample models, Excel spreadsheets, and written documentation of how to customize your analysis using Excel array formulas and named ranges.