Best practice for making simulation a success

Strategy: Think long-term with the simulation technology and make a strategic plan and vision for, how the simulation technology in the company should develop and vice versa.  The simulation technology can also change the company

Process: Formulate a set of company processes for how and when the simulations should be used. This methodology ensures that you find the problems, also where you did not imagine any problems could occur.

Early in the development: It is essential to be a part of product development, as early as possible. Simulation can give you answers and the earlier you get these answer the easier and cheaper the change of designs and constructions are.

Qualifications level: Participate in formal training and network for competency development in order to quickly raise the skill level.

Critical mass: As all other specialist knowledge, knowledge about simulation should be shared between multiple employees, in order to not make the company vulnerable in the event of employees resignation. 3 or more employees is ideal, because it also creates a learning environment.

Communication: The results of the simulations need to be communicated simply in writing or similarly, and always as a personal dialogue, in order to make the conclusions clear and operative.

Knowledge: Simulation creates knowledge, and in experience based companies, this new knowledge will redefine the power balance in the organisation, which can create unexpected resistance.

Integrated simulation: If possible, employees from the entire value chain (from design to production) should be involved in the definition of the analyses and evaluation of the results. This gives an accept and a common goal, when the results from the simulations need to be implemented.

Change management: When you introduce simulations into a company, it is a good idea to treat the implementation as a managerial change, and not to underestimate the need for change management.

Benefit: Make the cost reductions and optimizations from the simulations clear to the rest of the organisation. If is a new technology in the company, it will often be met with a certain doubt. Facts often speak for themselves.

Definition of results: Make it very clear, what the goal with the simulation is, because it determines the level of detail in the simulation, and thus the analysis time.

Patience: Be patient, the results come when you work seriously with the simulations.