modeling Tag

Since June 2012 blue elephant systems is member of the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für System Dynamics” (DGSD), German chapter of the “System Dynamics Society” (SDS), the institution for the advancement of the system dynamics methodology for modeling and simulation of complex dynamic systems. On the 21st to the 22nd of June 2012 the DGSD held its 6th yearly conference on system dynamics (SD) in Frankfurt Main in the rooms of the PA Consulting Group and I had been participating for the 2 days for the first time.

A series of presentations, mostly in the areas of business and jurisdiction showed applications of SD from purely qualitative to very data-centered quantitative models, from very high-level academic to pretty practical levels. For me the purpose was mainly learning about system dynamics, seeing practical SD models and their applications in various fields as well as getting contacts in the SD community. In that respect it was a very interesting and mind-opening event that got me started in modeling and simulation.
I am a the moment evaluating SD tools, from XJ Technologies AnyLogic, via Consideo MODELER to Vensim, so I also wanted to see what tools other people use. Apparently due to the excessive price of AnyLogic a lot of people use Vensim and Consideo, although those usability is not even remotely comparable to AnyLogic. Well we need to see how we can solve this problem.
As an interesting fact, I found out that the University of Stuttgart, with Prof. Dr. Meike Tilebein is very active in the field, whose doctor father is obviously the BWL Prof. Dr. E. Zahn. When I studied BWL as my minor field of study at university, Prof. Zahn had been my professor in Organization (in-depth elective).

I especially liked the openness of the SD people, it was obvious that they are happy of every new member that is deeply interested in system dynamics, and obviously blue elephant is bringing in a new application field where SD is not yet widely applied.