Soft or approaches in problem formulation stage of a hybrid M&S study

A simulation study consists of several well-defined stages, e.g., problem formulation, model implementation and experimentation. The application of multiple techniques in the model implementation stage is referred to as hybrid simulation, which we distinguish in this paper from a hybrid M&S study, the latter referring to studies that apply methods and techniques from disciplines like Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Computer Science to one or more stages of a simulation study. We focus on the first stage of a simulation study (and by extension a hybrid M&S study), viz., eliciting the system requirements, and conduct a review of literature in Soft Systems Methodology for healthcare operations management. We discuss the potential for the use of Qualitative System Dynamics as an additional soft OR method, complementing (rather than supplanting) existing approaches, which can further aid the understanding of the system in the problem formulation/conceptual modelling stage of a Hybrid M&S study.