Abstract for: Mapping and Modelling Business Cases with the Sysdea Online Software.

With system dynamics, we now have the capability to subject ALL substantial management decisions, in any field, to simulation testing. This workshop showed a simple process for tracing the causes of business performance back to the system of resources (stocks), the flows that are causing each to change, and the interdependencies and feedback between them. Critical to this process is to quantify – at least with estimates – the changing values of all important items. Participants saw how to take a group through this process on paper or white-board, then how exactly the same procedure can be followed with the Sysdea software. This method identifies some very common structures that apply to businesses of different types. All airlines, for example, feature aircraft, staff, airports, routes and customers, connected in the same way. Other standard structures provide templates for manufacturing companies, retailers, professional firms, oil companies, and so on. Standard structures are also found that apply to specific issues or parts of businesses, such as customer growth, staffing and skills, competition and capabilities. The models built to capture these standard structures constantly compare actual or forecast data with simulated values, drastically cutting the time to get a working model that groups recognise and agree, and providing actionable findings right from the start.