WEEK 5 - LFS Inclass Exercise - Simulation
WEEK 5 - LFS Inclass Exercise - Simulation
To begin creating a new scenario from an existing one, remember that scenarios can be accessed from inside the
Explorer window in iGrafx. Click View >> Explorer Bar.
From the Explorer window within iGrafx, select a scenario, right click and choose “Copy.” Right click and “Paste.”
Now, right click on the pasted scenario, and select “Rename.” Give an appropriate name for the scenario –, “Hourly
Change in Arrival.”
Verify that that the “Hourly Change in Arrival” scenario is selected (Bolded).
Either double-click on the Generators area in the main window or on the Generator icon (lightning bolt).
The next few steps will help you setup the model to simulate the hourly arrivals as observed at LFS on a regular basis.
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STEP 3: Enter the timetable information. (You should be a pro at this after watching the instructions video).
In the Generator window, Select “Timetable” in the Generator Type choice box.
Select “Modify Timetable”. You using the Table 1 Hourly Arrivals at LFS data below to setup the timetable.
There are two ways to enter the numbers – in Table format or Bar Chart format. Combining both formats is easier. Start
with the Bar Chart and click on the dotted line for each hour at different heights to create 10 bars of different values
through random clicks on each hour. Don’t worry about the values until you get 10 distinct bars created. Note that the
side arrow will extend or shorten the hour. Once you have created 10 distinct bars, then it is easy to go into the Table
tab and insert No. of Arrivals on Table 1 into the #/1hr column. See the example below.
Since we start the call center at 8am, start at the 8h Marker. You will have a total of 10 non-zero bars.
The end result on the window would be similar to the one below depending upon the ‘Bar Chart’ or ‘Table’ tab view.
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STEP 4: Verify settings from instructions (including total span), then select OK
Selecting “Start/Resume” (sideways triangle) to determine results. View the Report and see the various tabs to
determine the answers.
Max and Avg Wait Time for Quickline Service: ___________________ ______________________
Max and Avg Wait Time for Non-Quickline Customer Service: ___________________ ______________________
Max and Avg Wait Time for Non-Quickline Broker Service: ___________________ ______________________
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Under Queue Tab in Report:
PART 2
Continue with the same scenario for “Hourly Change in Arrival” (it should be bolded in explorer window)
Click through - Model >>Attributes. You will see the following Window.
Select the Scenario Option.
If a Scenario attribute “Max_Wait_Time” is already defined, select it by double clicking on it. If it is not already
defined, define the attribute “Max_Wait_Time”, by clicking on the Add button in this window. Leave the
attribute type as Value; and initialize the variable to the value 5 (in the initialization part of the window). Select
OK.
The end result would be as shown below (in the window to the right).
As described below, define exception paths from each of the three activity boxes (Complete quickline service; complete
non-quickline customer call; and complete non-quickline broker call).
Under Process Diagrams in the explorer window, double-click “LFS To-Be process”.
Within each activity, double-click or right-click and select ‘Properties’.
Delete all existing output paths from the three activities just before the “END” Block (listed below).
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o Complete quickline service
o Complete non-quickline customer call
o Complete non-quickline broker call
Open the properties dialog box for each activity. Select “Outputs” >> and select the “Exceptions” Tab.
In the Exceptions tab, choose “Timer” from the choice box; and name the exception “Timer.”
Click on the “Maximum Time” button. Click on the expression button (just to the right of “S.Max_Wait_Time”
text field entry in the screen image below); and then click on the “x=” button.
Select the Max_Wait_Time attribute (QUICK WAY is to type directly – S.Max_Wait_Time in the text field).
Select “Minutes” in the field to the right
In the box next to the label, Disable – select “After Resource.”
The end result should be as shown in the screen shot on the next page. Select OK
You need to now create separate paths for normal output and exception output to explicitly record the number
of reneging entities.
Create a new ‘Alternate Process’ activity (with rounded edge). Name this activity “Renege”: Renege
The first arrow you connect will be the Exception path. Therefore, connect the “Exception” output (i.e., the
clock) to the “Renege” box.
Now create another connecting path from the call handling activity to the “End” box.
At the end, your model would look similar to the Figure below. Notice the Clock icon (the Exception output) goes to the
“Renege” Activity.
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STEP 6: Re-run the simulation and verify that you have reneging customers.
Max and Avg Wait Time for Quickline Service: ___________________ ______________________
Max and Avg Wait Time for Non-Quickline Customer Service: ___________________ ______________________
Max and Avg Wait Time for Non-Quickline Broker Service: ___________________ ______________________
What if customers renege after a wait of 3 minutes? _____________ ; what happens to the wait times above?
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Now, you can experiment with increasing or decreasing the number of customer arrivals or by decreasing the initial
value of the “Max_Wait_Time” to check the impact on the model.
Based on the simulations, how many call center agents will you need to meet the service level objective (customers to
wait no more than 20 seconds for their service to begin) stated in the case study?
Given the number of call center agents you have estimated and the hourly rate for an average call center agent
(approximately $37.00) can Lion Financial Services save $1.5 Million (per Andy’s estimate) with the redesigned call
center process.