New York University, Tandon School of Engineering

[Department of Technology Management and Innovation]

[IE 6823 Factory Simulation]
[Spring 2024]
Instructor: Ikhmeis, Ph.D.IE
[Tuesday 06:00 – 08:30 PM]; [ RH 201]
[[email protected]]
th
[2 Metrotech 10 floor / Phone: (347)-453-4124]
Office hours: [Tu 04:30 –05:30 PM], or by appointment

Course Pre-requisites
Students need to have good concepts of probability and statistics, knowledge of Computer
literacy, and flow charts and code them.

Course Description
This course provides the student with a solid foundation in discrete simulation; students will be
examining modeling and simulation of complex industrial, commercial, and service systems,
such as factories and hospitals. Students will develop, run, and test several simulation models
during the course. Understand the validation, verification, and calibration of models and test the
accuracy of models by testing inputs parameters and outputs performance measures.
A unique aspect of this course is demonstrating the power of people with different expertise
teams to build a suitable model for a given situation. A term project is required that includes
detailed analysis and contains materials that are covered during the semester.

Course Objectives
The course intends to prepare students for understanding and applying simulation modeling
techniques for both service and complex manufacturing industries; at the end, the students should
be able to:
 understand the general principles and applications underlying the discrete–event
simulation theory, how it works, how to interpret results, and how to make a managerial
decision from the output results.
 understand the behavior of systems and demonstrate knowledge to developing a
simulation of complex industrial, commercial, and service systems, such as factories and
hospitals model, coding and analyzing of this system as well as using simulation software
 understand the advantages and disadvantages of simulation and understand the features
and attributes of simulation software.
 model and develop, run and experiment with several simulation models using software
packages such as (WITNESS HORIZON)

Course Structure
This course will be delivered via a series of lectures and discussions in Simulation. The course
focuses on both manufacturing and services industries. Students are responsible for reading the
associated chapters and assigned cases and reviewing key concepts, terms, definitions, discussion
questions, and topics. Toward the end of the semester, there will be a team project that focuses
on the covered topics.
 COURSE MGT Announcements, notes, resources, assignments, schedules, and due dates will be
posted to NYU classes.
Readings
The required text for the course is:
Discrete – Event System Simulation, 5th, Editions 2010, Jerry Banks, John S.
Carson II, Barry L. Nelson, and David M. Nicol), Pearson,
ISBN-10: 0 – 13 – 606212 – 1/ -13: 978 – 0 – 13 – 606212 – 7

Reference textbooks: (Should be found in School Library)

1. “Averill M. Law, Simulation Modeling, and Analysis, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill,
2015, ISBN: 978 – 0 – 0 7 – 340132 – 4.
2. “Modeling and Simulation of Discrete – Event System” 1st Edition, Wiley 2013,
Byoung Kyu Choi, and Donghun Kang, ISBN- 978-1-118-38699-6
3. Sheldon M. Ross, Simulation, 4th Edition, Academic Press, 2006.
4. B. R. Ripley, Stochastic Simulation, Wiley, 2006.
5. P. Bratley, B. L. Fox, and L. E. Schage, A Guide to Simulation, 2nd Edition,
Springer-Verlag, 1987.
Additional Reading Sources and software: (database available through library)
Simulation Society (INFORMS – SIM)
Society for Modeling and Simulation International (SCS)
www.informs-cs.org/wscpapers.html
Software Package WITNESS HORIZON from Lanner
Course requirements
All course materials are posted on the Brightspace course web page. Students are expected to
read lecture materials before class,
 Class attendance is mandatory.
 Students must submit their HW before the beginning of each class.
 HW will not be graded, It will be discussed in class
 Exams will consider all materials covered in lectures, which may not be in the
textbook.
Policy
All participants are expected to always handle themselves with professional conduct. Students
are expected to adhere to all university policies and uphold academic integrity throughout the
course.
The Department of Technology Management and Innovation does not permit remote
attendance in any of its fully on-campus course sections.

If you encounter a situation that will prevent you from attending your classes in person for more
than one session, you should reach out to your Academic Advisor as soon as possible to discuss
the available options (Term Withdraw, Leave of Absence, etc). If you are sick and unable to
attend a single session, you should contact your classmates for any notes or materials that you
may have missed. If you require an excused absence to make up an assignment, please contact
the Office of Student Advocacy <[email protected]> to apply for one.
Please note that if it comes to the attention of the department that you have not been attending
your classes, but have been submitting work remotely, you will be subject to total withdrawal
from these classes with potential full tuition and fee liability.

Grading
 Attendance, discussion, and participations, [15%]
 Term Projects [04/30/2024], [15%]
 Midterm Exam [03/05/2024], [35%]
 Final Exam [05/14/2024], [35%]

Grading Ranges:
Your final grade in the clas05s will be determined based on the summation of the number of
points you acquire. The following point spread corresponds with the next grade.

Total 50 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
Grade F C C+ B- B B+ A- A

Part I: [Introduction to Discrete – Event System Simulation]

[01/23/2024] Lecture 1 “Introduction to System Analysis and simulation.”

 overview of computer simulation,” will supply answers to the following
fundamental questions in a computer simulation:
 What is a system?
 What is a discrete-event simulation? What is a continuous simulation?
What is a Monte Carlo simulation?
 What are simulation experimentation and optimization?
 basics of discrete-event system modeling & simulation,” aims to provide a
step–by–step procedure for performing a discrete event simulation.
 understand the fundamentals of DES modeling.
 Reading Chapters 1
o pp. 4 to pp.21

[01/30/2024] Lecture 2 “Simulation Example in Spreadsheet.”

 to introduce and illustrate the principles of simulation using spreadsheet
examples.
 to know what modeling components and a reference are model.
 to know what is a formal model and how it is specified?
 To know how to describe
 to know what the integrated framework of discrete-event system modeling
is?
 Reading Chapter 2
o pp. 25 to pp.77
 II Mathematical and Statistical Models

[02/06/2024] Lecture 3 “Review of Basic Probability and Statistics.”

 to review basic probability and statistics and introduce terminology and
concepts related to simulation.
 to discuss a typical application of statistical models or distribution forms for
both discrete and continuous distributions
 to define the errors and potential dangers of applying classical statistical
techniques based on independent observations of simulation output data.
 Reading Chapter 5
o pp. 171 – pp. 219

[02/13/2024] Lecture 4 “Queueing Models.”

 to discuss the general characteristics of queues models
 discuss meaning and relationships of the critical performance measures.
 learn how to estimate mean measures of performance from a simulation.
 be able to know the effect of varying the input parameters.
 be able to learn the mathematical solutions of a small number of essential and
fundamental queueing models.
 Reading Chapter 6
o pp. 228 – pp. 268

Part III: [Random Numbers]

[02/20/2024] Lecture 5 “Random Number Generators”

 to learn the essential ingredient needed for every method of generating
random variate.
 to learn how to sample and illustrate some widely used techniques for
generating random variates from discrete as well continuous distributions.
 Reading Chapter 7
o pp. 277 - 294

[02/27/2024] Lecture 6 “Random-Variate Generator.”

 to develop an understanding of generating samples from a specified
distribution as input to a simulation model
 Reading Chapter 8
o pp. 300 – 327

[03/05/2024] Lecture 7 “Mid - Term Exam.”

 Part IV: [Analysis of Simulation Data]

[03/12/2024] Lecture 8 “Input Modeling.”

 to draw the statistical aspects of fitting probability distributions to data
 to discuss and learn the steps of input model development.
 to identify a probability distribution to represent the input process and choose
parameters for the named distribution.
 to evaluate the chosen distribution and parameters for the goodness of fit
 Reading Chapter 9
o pp. 335 – 369

[03/19/2024] No Classes Spring Recess

[03/26/2024] Lecture 8 “Simulation Software/ WITNESS Horizon Software.”

 to understand and use the witness software simulation package.
 to define various capabilities and features of WITNESS HORIZON
 to demonstrate building models and statistical analysis of witness software
simulation package

[04/02/2024] Session 9 “Verification, Calibration, and Validation of Simulation Models.”

 to develop and produce a model that represents actual behavior closely
enough for decision-making purposes.
 to illustrate methods and techniques of increasing model’s credibility to an
acceptable level
 to define steps of building models by validations, verifications, and
calibration
 Reading Chapter 10
o pp. 388 – 414

[04/09/2024] Session 10 “Estimation of Absolute Performance.”

 to understand how to estimate absolute performance and its precisions.
 to define and understand the purpose of the statistical analysis and be able to
determine the standards error and the width of a confidence interval.
 to figure out the number of observations required to achieve a standard error
or CI of a given size.
 Reading Chapter 11
o pp. 417 – 440
o pp. 444 – 449
[04/16/2024] Session 11 “Estimation of Relative Performance.”
 to define methods for Comparison of alternative system designs
 to apply statistical methods to compare two or more system designs and
define whether observed differences are due to differences in design or due to
the random fluctuation inherent in the models.
 to define ways of two or more system comparisons
 Reading Chapter 12
o pp. 463 – 499

[04/23/2024] Lecture 13 “Simulation of Manufacturing and Material – Handling System.”

[04/30/2024] Lecture 14 “Project Presentations and Course Review.”

[05/14/2024] Lecture 15 “Final Exam.”