by Jim Thompson, Affiliate Research Scientist at Worcester Polytechnic Institute Models and I go back a long way. I created relatively simple spreadsheet models by hand for 6 years at Arthur Andersen & Co. These were done on 14-column paper with a box of Ticonderoga #3 pencils and a Pink Pearl eraser. I understood the … Continue reading Models Don’t Make Predictions, People Do!
Simulation During Times of Crisis
COVID SD Resources Post Authored by Raafat Zaini, PC Member, AVP Marketing Scientists and researchers spend a long time crafting mathematical models that simulate multiple phenomena occurring in organizations and societies. Those models use varied methodologies based on either proven theories or envisioned hypotheses that are hard to test through direct measurements either because the … Continue reading Simulation During Times of Crisis
Renewing my membership in the System Dynamics Society
By Len Malczynski, VP Meetings Greetings,In 2009, at the International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, President Erling Moxnes started his Presidential address by saying, '"Groucho Marx said “I refuse to be a member of any club that would have me as member."' Erling got my attention with that paradox and his use of a … Continue reading Renewing my membership in the System Dynamics Society
Why we do not always simulate
By Vincent de Gooyert, Inge Bleijenbergh, Hubert Korzilius, Brigit Fokkinga, Monic Lansu, Stephan Raaijmakers, Etiënne Rouwette, Merel van der Wal With great interest we have been following and participating in discussions on what ‘good’ and ‘appropriate’ system dynamics modeling is. The system dynamics society, including its conferences and the wiSDom blog provide a stimulating environment … Continue reading Why we do not always simulate
What scientific rigor can and cannot buy us
By Jack Homer, VP of Professional Practice Many words have been written about how SD modeling should be scientific and rigorous. An initial dynamic hypothesis will always have shortcomings, and these can be revealed by model testing. We must go through an iterative process, revising a model repeatedly so that we can get the dynamic … Continue reading What scientific rigor can and cannot buy us
How to right-size your model
By Jack Homer, VP of Professional Practice I once developed a relatively compact SD model to help a major chemical company restructure their plastics business. The model was well received by senior management but was not considered granular enough for accurately projecting the financial consequences of a strategic shift. The company had recently developed a … Continue reading How to right-size your model
Group model building: a dialogue
By Jack Homer, VP of Professional Practice In the late 1980s, academics on both sides of the Atlantic started to develop structured techniques for eliciting knowledge from expert and client groups as part of SD modeling. The goal was to democratize or “open up” the process, so that the ensuing model would have a stronger … Continue reading Group model building: a dialogue
The endogenous perspective: a friendly amendment
By Jack Homer, VP of Professional Practice I have developed lots of SD models over the years for both private and public organizations. My models have all been built to answer strategic questions for which there was no single obvious answer, due to the presence of dynamic complexities including accumulations, delays, nonlinearities, and feedback loops. … Continue reading The endogenous perspective: a friendly amendment
Let’s consider policy feasibility
By Jack Homer, VP of Professional Practice I was once consulted by a semiconductor equipment maker who wanted to reduce their service maintenance costs. The client team offered a variety of ideas, some of which were workforce-related and could be implemented fairly rapidly, while other options involved product improvement and would require several years of … Continue reading Let’s consider policy feasibility
Six Reasons to Apply System Dynamics Modeling in Medical Research
By Kenneth G. Cooper (Moderator's Note: After several recent conversations with Ken about different dimensions of SD in medical research, and as a follow-up to his recent post, I asked him to provide a short list of the top reasons why we should pursue more SD work in this area. The list below, shared with … Continue reading Six Reasons to Apply System Dynamics Modeling in Medical Research
