Are business managers and non-technical consultants ready for low-cost discrete-event simulation? A survey of users

Until recently, discrete event simulation tools were expensive, difficult to use, and limited in use to specialists within large corporations. However, in the last few years, several low cost (under $2000), discrete event simulation products have been introduced. These products include ProcessModel from ProModel, Process 98 from Scitor and Optima from Micrografx, Inc. Targeted for use by a broader range of simulation user than ever before, these tools take advantage of advances in computer hardware, software standards, graphical design and ease of use. Have these new tools simplified simulation enough to make simulation a valuable tool for business managers and nontechnical consultants? Who is buying and using low cost simulation software and how successful are they with these products? The paper explores these questions and others.