Advantages and disadvantages of simulation

In the video above, Tim Williams-Wood, Chief of Digital Manufacturing at Rolls Royce, describes some of the benefits of using simulation and modelling.

Advantages

• Simulation allows you to explore ‘what if’ questions and scenarios without having to experiment on the system itself.

• It helps you to identify bottlenecks in material, information and product flows.

• It helps you to gain insight into which variables are most important to system performance.

Disadvantages

• The quality of the analysis depends on the quality of the model and the skills of the modeller, who requires specialised training.

• It’s a time-consuming and expensive process, so should not be used if an analytical method can provide quicker results.

Your task

Can you think of any other advantages and disadvantages that we have not mentioned above? Share them in the comments below.