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An experimental investigation into the role of simulation models in generating insights

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Stewart RobinsonORCiD

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Abstract

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Association of European Operational Research Societies (EURO) within the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS). All rights reserved.It is often claimed that discrete-event simulation (DES) models are useful for generating insights. There is, however, almost no empirical evidence to support this claim. To address this issue we perform an experimental study which investigates the role of DES, specifically the simulation animation and statistical results, in generating insight (an 'AHA!' moment). Undergraduate students were placed in three separate groups and given a task to solve using a model with only animation, a model with only statistical results, or using no model at all. The task was based around the UK's NHS111 telephone service for non-emergency health care. Performance was measured based on whether participants solved the task with insight, the time taken to achieve insight and the participants' problem-solving patterns. The results show that there is some association between insight generation and the use of a simulation model, particularly the use of the statistical results generated from the model. While there is no evidence that insights were generated more frequently from statistical results than the use of animation, the participants using the statistical results generated insights more rapidly.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Gogi A, Tako AA, Robinson S

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: European Journal of Operational Research

Year: 2016

Volume: 249

Issue: 3

Pages: 931-944

Print publication date: 16/03/2016

Online publication date: 21/10/2015

Acceptance date: 22/09/2015

ISSN (print): 0377-2217

ISSN (electronic): 1872-6860

Publisher: Elsevier

URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2015.09.042

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2015.09.042

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