

ExpertFit
Student Version 8

AVERILL M. LAW & ASSOCIATES 

4729 East Sunrise Drive, # 462

Tucson, AZ 85718
Phone: 520-795-6265
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.averill-law.com
1. Introduction

ExpertFit allows one to determine automatically and accurately which probability

distribution best represents a data set. In many cases a complete analysis can be
done in less than 5 minutes. A secondary goal is to provide simulation analysts with
assistance in modeling a source of randomness (e.g., a service time) in the absence of
data (see the discussion in Section 1.1).
ExpertFit is extensively used by analysts performing discrete-event simulation
studies of real-world systems in application areas such as defense, manufacturing,
transportation, healthcare, call centers, and communications networks. For these
users, ExpertFit will take the selected distribution and put it into the proper format for
direct input to a large number of different simulation-software products. ExpertFit is
also used for data analyses in such diverse disciplines as actuarial science,
agriculture, chemistry, economics, environmental analysis, finance, forestry, hydrology,
medicine, meteorology, mining, physics, psychology, reliability engineering, and risk
analysis. ExpertFit is the result of 33 years of statistical research.
ExpertFit has extensive context-sensitive online help for every options and
results screen, a built-in User’s Guide (see the Help pull-down menu at the top of the
screen), and a Feature Index. There is a glossary of key terms and also tutorials on a
number of general topics such as the available probability distributions. All ExpertFit
results can be printed or copied to the Windows Clipboard and used in other
applications (e.g., Microsoft Word or Excel).
The Student Version of ExpertFit is designed to be used with the 5th
edition of the book Simulation Modeling and Analysis by Dr. Averill M. Law. It
includes 13 different data sets (see Section 3) and allows one to use most of the
features available in the commercial version of ExpertFit on these data sets.
A large amount of additional information on ExpertFit can be found on our
website www.averill-law.com (see “ExpertFit”).
1.1. Types of ExpertFit Analyses

ExpertFit can perform the three main types of analyses given in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1. Main types of ExpertFit analyses.

Module Description
Data Analysis Used to determine what probability distribution best
represents a data set. You can either have ExpertFit
determine the best distribution automatically or specify
the distributions for consideration manually. See
Chapter 2 for further discussion and an example.
Task-Time Models Used to specify a probability distribution for a task time
when no data are available. Based on subjective
estimates of the minimum task time, the most-likely task
time, and, say, the 90th percentile of the task time,
ExpertFit specifies a Weibull, lognormal, or triangular
distribution as a model for the task time. This analysis
type is not available in the Student Version.
Machine-Breakdown Used to model the random downtimes of a machine
Models
when no downtime data are available. Based on
subjective estimates of such parameters as machine
efficiency (e.g., 0.90) and mean downtime, ExpertFit
specifies a busy-time distribution and a downtime
distribution. This analysis type is not available in
the Student Version.

In addition, the important features given in Table 1.2 can be accessed from the
Menu Bar at the top of the screen.
Table 1.2. Additional important ExpertFit features.

Module Description
Distribution Viewer Used to display/calculate characteristics (e.g., the
density function or moments) of a distribution without
having to enter a data set.
Batch Mode Used to fit distributions to one or more data sets with
only a few mouse clicks.

2. Data Analysis Module

There are two modes of operation (see the Mode pull-down menu) for the Data
Analysis module: Standard and Advanced. Standard Mode is sufficient for 95 percent
of all analyses and is easier to use. It focuses the user on those features that are the
most important at a particular point in an analysis. Advanced Mode contains a large
number of additional features for the sophisticated user. A user can switch from one
mode to another at any time. In this brochure we will only discuss the Standard Mode.
 There are also two levels of precision when fitting distributions (see the
Precision pull-down menu): Normal and High. Normal Precision provides good
estimates, for many data sets, of the parameters of a distribution and has a small
execution time. High Precision (the default) provides better parameter estimates for
most data sets, but will have a larger execution time for data sets containing many
observations.
The use of the Data Analysis module to determine what probability distribution
best represents a data set is based on the sequential application of the four tabs shown
in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1. Tabs for the Data Analysis module.

Tab Overall Purpose

Data Used to read in a data set from a file, enter a data set at the
keyboard, paste in a sample from the Clipboard, or import a data set
from Excel

Models Used to “fit” probability distributions to a data set

Comparisons Used to compare the fitted distributions to the data set
Applications Used to determine or display characteristics of a distribution (e.g., its
density function) or to represent the distribution in a simulation-
software package

Although there are different ways that these four tabs could be used to
determine the best distribution for a data set, the following are the explicit steps that we
recommend for real-valued data:
1. Obtain a data set using the Data tab.

2. View the resulting Data-Summary Table (in Data tab) – provides information on the
shape and range of the true underlying density function.
3. Make a histogram of your data (used in Step 5) using the Data tab – see the
Constructing a Histogram from Your Data tutorial in the Help pull-down menu.
4. Determine the distribution that is the best representation for your data using the
Automated Fitting option in the Models tab.
5. Confirm using the Comparisons tab that the best distribution as determined by
ExpertFit is, in fact, satisfactory in an absolute sense.
6. If you are doing simulation modeling, then either represent the best distribution (if
good in an absolute sense) or an empirical distribution based on your data (if the
best distribution is not satisfactory) in your simulation software using the
Applications tab.
An example of the use of the Data Analysis module is given next.
Example 2.1: Customer Service Times

This example illustrates how you can use the six-step approach given at the
beginning of this chapter to find the probability distribution that best represents a data
set. We discuss both the ExpertFit commands necessary to accomplish a particular
part of the analysis and the actual results of the analysis. This analysis will use High
Precision.

Steps for Action A:

At window: Do:
Project 1 Click on New.
Project-Element Editing Select Fit distributions to data.
In the Project-Element Name edit box, enter
Example 2.1.
Click on OK.
Project 1 Click on Analyze.
Data tab Click on Enter Data.
Enter-Data Options Click on Apply.
Open In the File Name scroll list, select
EXAM21_UsersGuide.EXP.

Examine the Data-Summary Table.

Data-Summary Table Click on Done.

A: The Data-Summary Table for this set of n = 450 service times (read in the Data
tab) is given in Table 2.2. The positive value of the sample skewness indicates that the
underlying distribution of the data is skewed to the right (i.e., it has a longer right tail
than left tail). This is supported by the sample mean being larger than the sample
median.

Table 2.2. Data summary for the service-time data.

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Data Characteristic Value

Source file EXAM21_UsersGuide

Observation type Real valued
Number of observations 450
Minimum observation 0.06438
Maximum observation 3.11115
Mean 1.18250
Median 1.15192
Variance 0.32394
Coefficient of variation 0.48131
Skewness 0.48796

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of the firstfor
Steps interval from 0.064
Action B: to 0:
Histogram Options Click on the equal-sign ("=") button next to 0.06400.
At window: Do:
Change the value to 0.0 in the edit box.
Data tab Click on Histogram.
Click on OK.
HistogramThe
Options
following shows howClick on Apply.
to change the lower endpoint
Perform similar actions to change the interval width to 0.25
and the number of intervals to 13.Examine the Histogram Plot.

Histogram Options Click

Click on Done.
on Apply.

Histogram Plot Examine the Histogram Plot.

Click on Done.

Histogram Options Click on Done.

B: In Figure 2.1 we present the default ExpertFit histogram for the service-time data.
Note that the histogram is quite “ragged,” since the interval width is too small. Using a
trial-and-error approach discussed in the Constructing a Histogram from Your Data
tutorial, we determined that a better histogram is obtained by using an interval width of
0.25. The improved “smooth” histogram is shown in Figure 2.2. In general we
recommend that you construct your own histogram rather than rely on the ExpertFit
default. There is no definitive prescription for choosing histogram intervals!

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 Note that the histogram interval width can also be changed by using the
two buttons with arrowheads at the top of the histogram screen. The left (right)

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 Histogram
0.10

0.08

0.06
Proportion

0.04

0.02

0.00
0.13 0.53 0.93 1.33 1.73 2.13 2.52 2.92
Interval Midpoint
23 intervals of w idth 0.133

Figure 2.1. Default ExpertFit histogram of the service-time data.

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 Histogram
0.17

0.13

0.10
Proportion

0.07

0.03

0.00
0.13 0.63 1.13 1.63 2.13 2.63 3.13
Interval Midpoint
13 intervals of w idth 0.25

Figure 2.2. Histogram of the service-time data with an interval width of 0.25.

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button decreases (increases) the interval width by 5 percent, and can be applied
repeatedly.

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 Steps for Action C:

At window: Do:
Data tab Click on the Models tab.
Models tab Click on Automated Fitting.

Examine Automated-Fitting Results.

Automated-Fitting Results Click on Done.

C: We begin the actual process of finding a distribution that is a good representation

for our data by selecting the Automated Fitting option at the Models tab. Based on
certain heuristics, ExpertFit determined that the “best” representation for the data is
provided by a Weibull distribution (see Table 2.3) with location, scale, and shape
parameters of 0, 1.334, and 2.183, respectively. This best model received a Relative
Score of 100.00 and its Absolute Evaluation message is “Good,” indicating no reason
for concern. (See the context-dependent online help for a discussion of the terms in
boldface.) Furthermore, the model mean and the sample mean are almost identical.

Note that the third-best fitting model is a Rayleigh distribution with an estimated
location parameter (denoted by “E”) of 0.062. (If we were to click on View/Delete
Models at the Models tab, we would see that the normal distribution was not
automatically fit to our non-negative service-time data. This is because the normal
distribution can take on negative values. However, the normal distribution could, if
desired, be fit to our data using the Fit Individual Models option at the Models tab.)

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Table 2.3. Evaluation of the candidate models.

Relative Evaluation of Candidate Models

Relative
Model Score Parameters
1 - Weibull 100.00 Location 0.00000
Scale 1.33367
Shape 2.18304
2 - Beta 95.00 Lower endpoint 6.46210 e -4
Upper endpoint 3.72935
Shape #1 2.53832
Shape #2 5.47937
3 - Rayleigh(E) 88.75 Location 0.06196
Scale 1.25652
21 models are defined with scores between 3.75 and 100.00

Absolute Evaluation of Model 1 - Weibull

Evaluation: Good
Suggestion: Additional evaluations using Comparisons Tab might be informative.
See Help for more information.

Additional Information about Model 1 - Weibull

" ʺError in ʺ the model mean

relative to the sample mean 0.00139 = 0.12%

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 Steps for Action D:

At window: Do:
Comparisons tab Click on Graphical Comparisons.

Graphical-Comparisons
Options Select Density-Histogram Plot.
Click on Apply.

Examine Density-Histogram Plot.

Density-Histogram
Plot Click on Done.

D: We now do some additional confirmation of the best-fitting Weibull distribution

using the Comparison tab, as suggested by the latter part of the Absolute Evaluation
message. The Density-Histogram Plot based on the final histogram is shown in
Figure 2.3. The closeness of the density function to the histogram visually confirms the
quality of the Weibull representation. Note that we could have simultaneously
plotted the density functions of several distributions in Figure 2.3.

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 Density-Histogram Plot
0.17

0.14

0.10
Density/Proportion

0.07

0.03

0.00
0.13 0.63 1.13 1.63 2.13 2.63 3.13
Interval Midpoint
13 intervals of w idth 0.25 1 - Weibull

Figure 2.3. Density-Histogram Plot for the fitted Weibull distribution and the
service-time data.

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Steps for Action E:
At window: Do:
Graphical-Comparisons
Options Select Distribution-Function-Differences Plot.
Click on Apply.

Examine Distribution-Function-Differences Plot.

Distribution-Function-
Differences Plot Click on Done.

Graphical-Comparisons
Options Click on Done.

E: We present a Distribution-Function-Differences Plot for the Weibull distribution

in Figure 2.4. The plot shows the differences between the Weibull distribution function
and the sample distribution function, over the range of the data. (The sample
distribution function, which is an estimate of the true underlying distribution function of
the data, is defined at a particular value of x as the proportion of observations in the
sample that is less than or equal to x.) Since the vertical differences in the plot are
close to 0, this is further indication that the Weibull distribution is a good model for the
data.

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 Distribution-Function-Differences Plot
0.20

0.13

0.07
Difference (Proportion)

0.00

-0.07

-0.13

-0.20
0.06 0.50 0.93 1.37 1.81 2.24 2.68 3.11
x
Use caution if plot crosses line 1 - Weibull (mean diff. = 0.00501)

Figure 2.4. Distribution-Function-Differences Plot for the fitted Weibull

distribution and the service-time data.

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Steps for Action F:

At window: Do:
Comparisons tab Click on Goodness-of-Fit Tests.
Options for
Goodness-of-Fit Tests Select Anderson-Darling Test.
Click on Apply.

Examine Anderson-Darling Test.

Anderson-Darling Test Click on Done.

Options for
Goodness-of-Fit Tests Click on Done.

F: We conclude the confirmation process by performing an Anderson-Darling Test

(the most-powerful test available in ExpertFit) to see formally whether our data could
have been generated from the specified Weibull distribution. (You may want to read
the discussion of goodness-of-fit tests in the Goodness-of-Fit Tests and Their
Interpretation tutorial in the software before proceeding.) We will perform the test at a
level (alpha) of 0.05. Since the Anderson-Darling statistic, 0.205, is less than critical
value, 0.750, we do not reject the Weibull distribution. You should keep in mind that
failure to reject by this test does not necessarily mean that the Weibull distribution is
exactly the distribution that produced the data; this test tends to have low power for
small to moderate sample sizes. (We also performed the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test
and Chi-Square Test and they did not reject the Weibull distribution.)
In summary, there is no reason to believe based on the above heuristics and
tests that the Weibull distribution does not provide a good model for the service-time
data.

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Steps for Action G:

At window: Do:
Comparisons tab Click on Applications tab.
Applications tab Click on Simulation Representation in the
Use a Specified Distribution (Model) section.
Simulation-Representation
Options Select the simulation software of your choice.
Click on Apply.

Examine Simulation-Software Representation.

Simulation-Software
Representation Click on Done.
Simulation-Representation Click on Done.
Options
Applications tab In the File menu, select Close Data Analysis.

G: If you are using ExpertFit in the context of simulation modeling, we now see how
to put the selected Weibull distribution into the proper format for several different
simulation-software products using the Applications tab. In particular, the above
actions show how to represent the Weibull distribution in the software product of your
choice; the actual representations for selected products are shown in Table 2.4.

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Table 2.4. Simulation-software representations for the Weibull distribution.

Software Product Representation

AnyLogic weibull(2.183039, 1.333669, 0.000000)

Arena WEIB(1.333669, 2.183039, <stream>)

AutoMod weibull 2.183039, 1.333669

ExtendSim Distribution Weibull

Scale 1.333669
Shape 2.183039
Location 0.000000

FlexSim Distribution Weibull

Location 0.000000
Scale 1.333669
Shape 2.183039
ProModel W(2.183039, 1.333669, <stream>)

Simio Random.Weibull(2.183039, 1.333669, <stream>)

WITNESS WEIBULL(2.183039, 1.333669, <stream>)

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3. Example Data Sets

Data-Set Name Description

EXAM21_UsersGuide.EXP Example 2.1 in the User’s Guide (service times of
customers)
EXAM64.EXP 219 interarrival times of cars to a drive-up bank
EXAM65.EXP 156 demand sizes from an inventory
PROB620a.EXP 91 laboratory processing times
PROB620b.EXP 1000 paper-roll yardages
PROB620c.EXP 218 post-office service times
PROB620d.EXP 1592 times at an ATM machine
PROB620e.EXP 694 machine-repair times
PROB620f.EXP 3035 post-anesthesia recovery times
PROB621a.EXP 369 university test scores
PROB621b.EXP 200 deaths per corps per year by horse kick in the
Prussian army in the late 1800s
PROB622a.EXP 122 machine-repair times
PROB622b.EXP 155 machine-repair times

Example

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