Samir Khan
Simulation Software Specialist

If you can model your process with a flowchart, you can produce fantastic computer simulations, test alternative solutions and optimise workload, time and cost - all with new Micro Saint Sharp.

"Will we improve throughput if we change our manufacturing process?"

"What is the cost implication of reducing customer waiting time?"

"What effect will an increased flow of real-time information have on a system operator's performance?"

These are serious issues - you can't rely on intuition for the answers. That's why today's decision makers use computer modelling techniques to evaluate and improve efficiency in a myriad of areas, including process definition, quality measurement and control, process re-design, and human factors such as employee workload, safety and productivity.

Discrete event simulation is now a standard technique for the analysis of manufacturing systems, engineering workflows, resource management and hundreds of other logistical processes. Competitive pressures, rising costs and regulatory controls have made computer simulation essential for evaluating alternative "what-if" strategies for those all-important process improvements.

It's almost 20 years since Micro Saint first came on the scene, leading the way in discrete event simulation. Now it has been redesigned to be faster, more powerful, modular and more affordable – and given a new name: Micro Saint Sharp.

You start by creating a flowchart of the process you want to model. You define your terms and logic (for example, what equipment, materials and personnel must be in place before a task is executed).

You may need to specify multiple outcomes, dynamically changing variables, probabilistic and tactical branching logic, sorted queues, conditional task execution and data collection.

Whatever its complexity, the process of running, animating and analysing the model is simple. Unlike most simulation software, Micro Saint Sharp doesn't restrict you to one view of the process. With

Micro Saint Sharp, you can view the network diagram as well as the animation, so debugging is easier and you always know what's going on. This feature has made the software popular in universities, because it helps students learn how to model.