B.8 Summary

In this chapter you learned how to analyze data in order to model the input distributions for a simulation model. The input distributions drive the stochastic behavior of the simulation model.

The modeling of the input distributions requires:

• Understanding how the system being modeled works. This understanding improves overall model construction in an iterative fashion: model the system, observe some data, model the data, model the system, etc.

• Carefully collecting the data using well thought out collection and sampling plans

• Analyzing the data using appropriate statistical techniques

• Hypothesizing and testing appropriate probability distributions

• Incorporating the models in to your simulations

Properly modeling the inputs to the simulation model form a critical foundation to increasing the validity of the simulation model and subsequently, the credibility of the simulation outputs.