Modeling for Simulation

PowerDesigner supports the modeling of the principal objects required to simulate your BPM with SIMUL8.

Create an analysis BPM with a business process diagram, and attach the SIMUL8 extension to the new model (see Creating a BPM).
Populate your diagram by creating a choreography of objects, such as processes, resources, flows, decisions, etc. (see Business Process Diagrams (Analysis)).
[optional] Review each object's default simulation properties (see Reviewing SIMUL8 Default Properties), and edit them if appropriate.
Export your BPM diagram to SIMUL8, and then run a simulation (see Exporting a BPM to SIMUL8).
Analyze the simulation results, and if necessary, edit simulation properties for certain objects, and run the simulation again (see Analyzing Results and Fine-Tuning the Simulation). Repeat this step until satisfied with your results.
Re-import your simulated BPM to PowerDesigner to synchronize the SIMUL8 changes with your BPM, and, if necessary, create additional modeling objects (see Synchronizing SIMUL8 Changes Back to PowerDesigner). Repeat steps 4 to 6 until you are satisfied with your BPM.
[optional] Generate code for BPEL to model the implementation of your processes (see Generating BPEL Code).

BPM / SIMUL8 objects conversion

PowerDesigner exports and imports objects to and from SIMUL8 as follows:

BPM object and properties	SIMUL8 object and properties
Diagram with Window color display preference	Model with Fill color property.
[No equivalent in BPM]	Work item - specifies the work which is performed in the organization being simulated. For example patients in a hospital, invoices in an Accounts department.
Atomic process (see Processes (BPM))	Work center - specifies the place where the work is performed (see SIMUL8 Work Center Properties).
Composite process (see Processes (BPM))	Component - specifies a single object containing one or more existing standard objects or other components.
Implemented by process (see Processes (BPM))	Component [if the process is implemented by a composite process] or work center.
Resource (see Resources (BPM))	Resource - are required at work centers in order for the work center to work on a work item (see SIMUL8 Resource Properties).
Start (see Starts and Ends (BPM ))	Can be either a : Work entry point - Where work to be done appears in your simulation for the first time (see SIMUL8 Work Entry Point Properties). Work center with a Zero working time [if the start is contained in a composite process] see (SIMUL8 Work Center Properties).
End (see Starts and Ends (BPM ))	Can be either a : Work exit point - Where work that is complete leaves your simulation (see SIMUL8 Work Exit Point Properties). Work center with a Zero working time [if the end is contained in a composite process] (see SIMUL8 Work Center Properties).
Flow (Flows (BPM ))	Routing in/out properties of a work center - specifies the path taken by each individual work item through the simulation (see SIMUL8 Route Properties).
[No equivalent in BPM]	Queue - specifies a place where work to be done can wait until appropriate resources or work centers are available to process it. Properties of queues are imported to the flow that contains the queue (see SIMUL8 Route Properties). A queue is generated for each link between SIMUL8 objects, except for work centers generated from decisions or synchronizations.
Resource flow (see Resource Flows (BPM)) with Read access property	Required resource property of a work center - specifies a resource that must be available before a work center can start processing a work item (see SIMUL8 Required Resource Properties).
Decision (see Decisions (BPM ))	Work center [without queue] (see SIMUL8 Work Center Properties).
Synchronization (see Synchronizations (BPM ))	Work center [without queue] (see SIMUL8 Work Center Properties).

Note: PowerDesigner free symbols are preserved in SIMUL8, but organization units, files, packages, message formats, parts and data are not supported.