Article ID: | iaor2010402 |
Volume: | 5 |
Issue: | 3 |
Start Page Number: | 256 |
End Page Number: | 271 |
Publication Date: | Jan 2009 |
Journal: | International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling |
Authors: | North Michael J, Macal Charles M |
Keywords: | beer game, system dynamics, agent based system |
Reproducibility is a pillar of the scientific endeavour. We view computer simulations as laboratories for electronic experimentation and therefore as tools for science. Recent studies have addressed model reproduction and found it to be surprisingly difficult to replicate published findings. There have been enough failed simulation replications to raise the question, ‘can computer models be fully replicated?’ This paper answers in the affirmative by reporting on a successful reproduction study using Mathematica, Repast and Swarm for the Beer Game supply chain model. The reproduction process was valuable because it demonstrated the original result's robustness across modelling methodologies and implementation environments.