This section gives an overview of the steps required to set up a simulation scenario and locally simulate the execution of a process.
As a prerequisite for simulating a process, you need to define a process definition based on which process instances will be triggered and executed. For the following types of nodes in your process definition, you can specify "Simulation Properties" that are taken into account when the simulation is executed:
Activity Node
Voting Activity Node
Conditional Node
Complex Conditional Node
Note
You cannot define simulation properties for Subprocess Nodes and Chained-Process Nodes.
For example, you can specify the probability with which a specific arrow is chosen in case you have a node with several outgoing arrows, or you can specify detailed information on the resources required to perform a specific activity. Refer to section 12.2.4 Defining Simulation Properties for Nodes for details.
Note
The process definition included Email node can execute simulation, but the procedure executed in these node is exempt from evaluation. For example, e-mail is not sent to the mail address specified in Email node.
You create a new simulation scenario. Refer to section 12.2.1 Creating a Simulation Scenario for details.
For the simulation scenario, you need to specify, among other things, the start and end date for the simulation, the currency in which costs are to be calculated, the process definition whose execution is to be simulated, the interval in which new process instances are created. In addition, for every role defined in the process definition, you can specify an individual business calendar to be applied and costs per defined unit (e.g. cost/hour). Refer to section 12.2.3 Defining Simulation Properties for a Scenario for details.
Note
You can also simulate execution of process definitions containing Subprocess Nodes and Chained-Process Nodes. If the process definition has Subprocess Nodes or Chained-Process Nodes, execution of the parent process definition is simulated and then execution of the subprocess definitions is simulated automatically.
Once finished with the definition of the simulation properties, you simulate the scenario and generate a simulation result. Refer to section 12.3.1 Preparing a Simulation Result for details.
Based on the prepared simulation results, you can replay the simulation with the simulation results. While the simulation is running, you can observe the processing of every node in your process definition. Refer to section 12.3.2 Using the Simulation Controller for details.
The simulation results can then be evaluated using the extensive simulation report functionality. Refer to section 12.3.3 Generating Simulation Reports for details.
