Transactions in System Dynamics

41st Annual Simulation Symposium, Ottawa, Canada

2007-06-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

41st Annual Simulation SymposiumOttawa, Canada
Part of the 2008 Spring Simulation Multiconference
April 13-16, 2008
Sponsored by:
The Society for Modeling and Simulation International(Proceedings will be published by the IEEE Computer Society)

IMPORTANT DATESPaper Submission Deadline: 10/15/2007 Acceptance Notification: 11/30/2007 Camera-Ready Paper: 1/18/2008

http://agent.csd.auth.gr/~karatza/ANSS41/

John Morecroft Published New Book

2007-05-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

Strategic Modelling and Business Dynamics: A Feedback Systems Approach

Paperback: 424 pages
Publisher: Wiley (September 10, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0470012862
ISBN-13: 978-0470012864

An interesting research topic

2006-08-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Many of the serious technical incidents happn because of the human machine interaction failures. Some of these interactions are due to the delays in the machine operations or human cognition as well as the reinfinforcing feedback loops which overshoots. One intersting case whcih I think can be analysed by the applciation of system dynamics is "Pilot-induced oscillation ".
Pilot-induced oscillation (PIO), occurs when the pilott of an aircraft inadvertently commands an often increasing series of corrections in opposite directions, each an attempt to cover the aircraft's reaction to the previous input with an overcorrection in the opposite direction.

This is an interesting area to be modelled and researched by System Dynamics. Probably providing learning simulators to improve the pilots performance.

System Thinking and Modelling Master Program

2006-08-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

IT Univesity in Gothenburg(Sweden) has a master program about "System Thinking and modelling" where Prof. Hans Bjornsson and Prof. Pal Davidsen teach system dynamics and system thinking. The program is running in English and in part-time mode.
visit: http://www.ituniv.se/

My book review is published in System Dynamics Review

2006-08-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

My review about the book : "Modelling Complex Projects" is published in the summer edition of the System Dynamics Review. You can download the review from the journal website:Terry Williams. John Wiley & Sons, 2002, ISBN 0-471-89945-3, 276 pages
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112680813/ABSTRACT

Upcoming SD relevant conferences

2006-07-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

2nd European Modeling and Simulation Symposiom, October 4th to 6th, 2006, Barcelona, Spain
http://www.i-m-cs.org/EMSS06

International Modeling and Simulation Multiconference Feb 8th to 10th 2007 Buenos Aires, Argentina
http://www.lsis.org/imsm07/

The 22nd European Conference on Operational Research EURO XXII, July 8th to 11th 2007, Prague
http://euro2007.vse.cz/?action=homepage

Winter Simulation Conference December 3rd to 6th 2006 Monterey, CA USA
http://www.wintersim.org/

The winner of Dana Meadows Award - 2006

2006-07-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

In this year SD conference the paper from "Özge Karanfil" was announced as the winner of "Dana Meadows Award". This quality paper presents "A Dynamic Simulator for the Management of Disorders of the Body Water Metabolism". An innovative application for SD.
This selection indicates the expanding application of SD from being merely used in business and mangement to applications in Natural Sciences.
The full paper is available at: http://cgi.albany.edu/~sdsweb/sds2006.cgi?P418

2006 System Dynamics Conference - Nijmegen

2006-07-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

The 2006 system dynamics conference was an interesting event with some very good presentations from SD practitioners from around the world. However I think still SD community is not communicating well with the other disciplines. Especially the presentation from Peter Vanderminden was intertesting. He brought up the discussion of "if SD is a field or a methodology?" and was clear that there was not an agreement on this issue between the audiences in the planery session.
I hope the SD practitioners and researchers can ellaborate on how communication of SD with other disciplines can be facilitated.

simulation professor

2006-05-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

As combining discrete event and SD simulation is a new trend in research I may now and then introduce some of the researchers who have already taken steps in this direction or at least have a research interest in this area.

Stewart Robinson
Professor of Operational Research
Warwick Business School

http://www.btinternet.com/~stewart.robinson1/sr.htm

Operational Research Conference- 11 September

2006-05-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

This year Operational Research Conference will be held Between 11-13 September in University of Bath. There is a special Track for System Dynamics which is a chance to present your works. Only an abstarct is sufficient and no formal paper is required. visit
http://www.orsoc.org.uk/

Message from John Sterman

2006-05-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

CALL FOR PAPERS
Special Issue of the System Dynamics Review celebrating the 50th
anniversary of the field.
The field of system dynamics was founded by Jay Forrester 50 years
ago. The 2007 conference of the System Dynamics Society will
celebrate this milestone and, in conjunction, the System Dynamics
Review will publish a special double issue (2 & 3) commemorating this
achievement. The special issue will consist of a mix of invited and
contributed papers, and will both look back at our rich history and
forward to the next 50 years. We particularly welcome papers and notes
that review or synthesize important theoretical issues, application
areas, modeling practice, comparative methodological issues, and
educational developments. We also encourage descriptions of exemplary
applications and other developments that explore important paths for
the future development of the field.
The issue will be edited by John Sterman with the assistance of a
diverse group of guest associate editors: Yaman Barlas, Bob Cavana, Pal
Davidsen, Andy Ford, Peter Milling, John Morecroft, Nelson Repenning, George
Richardson, Krystyna Stave, Linda Booth Sweeney, and Jac Vennix.
Papers should follow the journal's Guidelines for main articles and
other categories of contribution. They are subject to the normal refereeing
procedures of the journal. Inquiries about proposed papers are
welcome; the guest editors will provide feedback on proposals. A 2-stage
procedure is to be adopted. Initially authors are requested to submit an extended
abstract (2 pages maximum). These will then be reviewed by the editors
and selected authors will be invited to submit a full, Notes & Insights or
Research Problems paper. Inquiries and extended abstracts should be directed to:
John Sterman
MIT Sloan School of Management

Final papers should be transmitted via the online submission system.
Timetable:
Extended abstracts due October 31st 2006
Final papers due July 6th 2007.
The deadlines will be strictly followed.
--
John Sterman
Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management
Director, MIT System Dynamics Group
MIT Sloan School of Management
E53-351
30 Wadsworth Street
Cambridge, MA 02142

Journal Paper

2006-04-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

Suprisingly after a long time I found a paper about bringing discreteness to System Dynamics models.

On the nature of discontinuities in system dynamics modelling of disrupted projects
Authors: Howick S.1; Eden C.1

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/pal/01605682
/2004/00000055/00000006/art00004

Qualitative data

2006-04-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

One of the problems in every simulation is to collect data for simulation model. In many case the quantitative data is not available and the researcher need to feed the model by her assumption or understanding of the system. the following paper can be helpful to use quantitative data for system dynamcis.

Collecting and analyzing qualitative data for system dynamics: methods and models

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/107060999/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

System Dynamics in Project Management

2006-04-23T15:38:00.001-07:00

Here is a list of the references on applciation of System Dynamics in Project management. I guess I have covered all of them. But if you know any other reference which is missing I will be happy to know.

Abdel-Hamid, T. K. (1988). "Understanding the 90% syndrome in software project management: A simulation case study ". Journal of Systems and Software 8: 109-119.

Abdel-Hamid, T. K. (1990). "On the Utility of Historical Project Statistics for Cost and Schedule Estimation: Results from a Simulation-based Case Study". Journal of Systems and Software 13: 71-82.

Abdel-Hamid, T. K. (1992). "Investigating the impacts of managerial turnover succession on software project performance ". Journal of Management Information Systems 9: 127-144.

Abdel-Hamid, T. K. and S. E. Madnick (1991). Software Project Dynamics: An integrated approach. Prentice Hall. USA

Ackermann, F., C. Eden and T. Williams (1997). "Modeling for Litigation: Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches". Interfaces 27(2): 48-65.

Ford, N. D. (1995). The Dynamics of Project Management: An Investigation of the Impacts of Project Process and Coordination on Performance. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. PhD dissertation.

Ford, N. D., D. M. Lander and J. J. Voyer (2002). "A real option approach to valuing strategic flexibility in uncertain construction projects". Construction Management and Economics 20: 343-351.

Ford, N. D. and J. Sterman (1998). "Dynamic Modeling of product development processes". System Dynamics Review 14(1): 31-69.

Howick, S. (2003). "Using system dynamics to analyse disruption and delay in complex projects for litigation: can the modelling purposes be met?" Journal of Operational Research Society 54: 222-229.

Howick, S. (2005). "Using system dynamics models with litigation audience". European Journal of Operational Research 162: 239-250.Levary, R. R. and C. Y. Lin (1991). "Modelling the Software Development Process Using and Expert Simulation System Having Fuzzy Logic". Software-Practice and Experience 21(2): 133-148.

Levary, R. R., D. J. Synott and C. Y. Lin (1988). "An Intelligent Dynamic Simulation Model for Designing Software Development Processes". OMEGA 16(6): 569-575.

Love, P. E. D., G. D. Holt, L. Y. Shen, H. Li and Z. Irani (2002). "Using system dynamics to better understand change and rework in construction project management systems". International Journal of Project Management 20: 425-436.

Lyneis, J., K. Cooper and A. E. Sharon (2001). "Strategic management of complex projects: a case study using system dynamics". System Dynamics Review 17(3): 237-260.

Repenning, N. P. (2000). "A dynamic model of resource allocation in multi-project research and development systems". System Dynamics Review 16(3): 173-212.

Roberts, E. B. (1964). The Dynamics of Research and Development. Harper and Row. USARoberts, E. B. (1974). "A Simple Model of R&D Project Dynamics". In E. B. Robert (Ed). Managerial Applications of System Dynamics. Cambridge, MA, Productivity Press: 293-314.

Rodrigues, A. and J. Bowers (1996). "The role of system dynamics in project management". International Journal of Project Management 14(4): 213-220.

Rodrigues, A. and T. Williams (1998). "System Dynamics in project management: assessing the impacts of client behaviour on project performance". Journal of Operational Research Society 49: 2-15.

Williams, T. (2002). Modelling complex projects. Wiley. ChichesterWilliams, T., F. Ackermann and C. Eden (2003). "Structuring a delay and disruption claim: An application of cause-mapping and system dynamics". European Journal of Operational Research 148: 192-204.

Williams, T., C. Eden, F. Ackermann and A. Tait (1995). "The Effect of Design Changes and Delays on Project Costs". Journal of Operational Research Society 46: 809-818.

research procedure

2006-04-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

I believe the research methods which are presented in many SD books are good for practitioners, while for a researcher and specially a researcher doing a PhD more sophisticated procedures are necessary. I have developted one. What do you think about it?

Conference deadline

2006-04-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

The deadline to submit papers to 2006 System Dynamcis PhD Colloquium is 24 April 2006.

Discreteness in SD

2006-04-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Integrating discrete flows and events in system dynamics models is something which ic neglected. Today softwares(specialy Powesim) provide the capability to creat random numbers and define discrete flows. I am sure in reality many of the processes are discrete and the modelling is supposed to represent the reality. I dont know why it has been neglected in the System Dynamics community.