Choosing discrete simulation software

The author assumes that one of the roles of Operational Research OR Insight is to be of practical help to its readers. Thus, it seemed worth trying to give some advice to readers who are surveying available simulation software and wondering what to buy. This advice might well be of use to readers other than Operational Research OR specialists, for manufacturing and design engineers are also major users of simulation software. However, the author faces a small problem in acting as a simulation agony aunt. That is, the need to make comments about software, doing so without being threatened by any of the software vendors.