A comparative study of alternative approaches to modelling the operations of a small enterprise

This paper reports on an attempt to compare three distinct approaches to simulating the operations of a small enterprise in order to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of each approach in modelling the enterprise and provide a means for improving its operational performance. The approaches considered are visual, interactive simulation using the WITNESS simulator, SIMNET II, a network‐driven simulation language and queuing modelling using Operations Management Expert. Each approach was found to accurately model the company operations, provide a consistent indication of operational performance in terms of throughput and resource utilisation, and provide a basis for suggesting improved modes of operation.