| Criteria for assessing the simulation software | Features for assessing the simulation software |
| General features | System requirements: RAM, operating system Costs: license, software installation, and training |
| Data input/output criteria | Data importing: electronic spread sheets, AutoCAD files Input data mode: batch, interactive, Reports: standard, customized, data statistics generation Printing: screen layout, generated reports |
| Development criteria | Icons: standard and user-defined library, icon editor Background chart: image import, screen layout editor Codification: codification assistants, programming using supplier’s language, global variables, and entity attributes Typical objects for model development: material handling, grouping, and separation of entities, schedule, resources, entities arrival, downtimes, and conditional routing Animation: enable/disable configuration, speed control date/hour visualization, instantaneous variable, and charts |
| Efficiency and testing criteria | Error detection: execution tracking, inserting stop points Inspection of instantaneous variables, stepwise execution Model construct/constraints/validation. |
| Execution criteria | Multiple replications Batch mode Warm-up period |
| Technical support/modelling assistance criteria | Technical user support: user’s manual, tutorials application-based examples, on-line help, technical support, trainings, and software updates. |
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