The System Architect Simulator window is a lite version of Lanner's WITNESS Simulator product. It animates the BPMN Process Flow diagrams from System Architect, and more importantly provides important dashboard information about the simulation.
The System Architect Simulator window is launched from System Architect by having a business process diagram ready for simulation open (either a BPMN Business Process, IDEF3, or Process Chart diagram), and selecting Tools, SA/Simulator, Run Simulation.
Viewing parent and child diagrams at the same time
The System Architect Simulator window provides you with eight windows to use during the simulation session. You select a window, put it into play, and then choose what to show in that window. In this way you can have multiple diagrams or dashboards open at the same time
To view the Child diagram at the same time as the Parent diagram, open another window through the Windows command, and then select to fill that window with the child diagram.
Reports, by on shift time
If you have an activity or a resource that is on a shift and is only available half the day, selecting this to show that the resource is busy 100 percent of the time when they are doing the task. This is reflected in the reports.
If you clear this option, the resource is shown as 50 percent busy.
Hammer and Wrench
The Hammer and Wrench tools enable you to simulate what happens when someone goes on a break.
If you select the middle number under a process (which represents the activity itself) and click Hammer, you have broken the process and the queue starts to build. To fix it, stop the model from running, select the middle number and click it with the wrench. You can see how long it takes to recover, or not.
Run, Trace
Run, Trace outputs the step messages (seen in the Interact box, the dialog that comes up when you are in step mode) to a file; specifically a trc file.
Run, Time Scaling
Run, Time Scaling goes from green to purple. You should try to run the model as an equal rate to real time. In doing this, you are keeping the clock at an equal rate to real time.
Purple indicates that the clock is running too slow.
Green indicates that the clock is running at optimal speed, such as 100 times faster than real time.
Normally the clock runs based on how much activity it has; it runs faster if there is nothing going on.
The model diagram is recreated in the System Architect Simulator window that is a separate application that reads the model created in System Architect. The diagrams created are read only, any changes must be made in System Architect and the simulation subsequently rerun.
Context diagram window
The System Architect Simulator automatically runs with the context diagram open in a window.
Child diagram window
Up to 5 child diagrams can be opened from the window menu, the diagram window selector determines which diagram appears in the window.
Run controls
Stop, pause, play or fast forward the simulation.
Run length
Runs the simulation to a specified end time
Simulation clock
Displays the current simulation time.
Breakdown/startup
Enables you to experiment with the effect of “breaking” an element. The element can subsequently be repaired if required.
Summary and detailed dashboard reports
Available in separate windows.
Analysis reports
Predefined reports analyze throughput, delays, sigma ratings and costing, and so on.
Microsoft Excel output
Save detailed dashboard statistics to a specified file and worksheet.
User reports
One or more model elements can be selected when the simulation is stopped and reports produced using a right-click.
Note To copy report statistics or graph output, use the right‑click menu.
