An Evaluation and Selection Methodology for Discrete-event Simulation Software

For large international companies with their own simulation team it is often hard to select new discrete event simulation software. Often, preferences and application areas between countries differ, and simulation software already in use influences the outcome of the selection process. Available selection methods do not suffice in such cases. Therefore, a two-phase evaluation and selection methodology is proposed. Phase one quickly reduces the long-list to a short-list of packages. Phase two matches the requirements of the company with the features of the simulation package in detail. Different methods are used for a detailed evaluation of each package. Simulation software vendors participate in both phases. The approach was tested for the Accenture world-wide simulation team. After the study, we can conclude that the methodology was effective in terms of quality and efficient in terms of time. It can easily be applied for other large organizations with a team of simulation specialists.