Process tool evaluations summary

dave_patterson@MENTORG.COM (Dave · Tue Oct 31, 1995 3:57 pm

A couple of weeks ago I sent out a request for evaluations of process
tools. I am enclosing the original message and a summary of the
responses I received. Thanks very much to all who responded.

I looked at the current version of the BPR-L tools faq; it is the same
as the one included here. I was unable to check out Genes home page
due to the limitations of the net browsers currently available to me;
hopefully, Ill be able to read the page when we upgrade our browsers.

Dave

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/r / / r Dave Patterson / / /
Mentor Graphics Corp. / / / r ^ 8005 SW Boeckman Road ^ /^ / ^ ^ ^
/ ^ Wilsonville, Oregon USA / // ^ / ^ / ^ / ^
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| | dave_patterson@mentorg.com | | | | ..| | | | |
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From: ekrahmer@MIT.EDU (elizabeth m. krahmer)

OR/MS Today, the professional journal of INFORMS (which is the
organization arising out of the merger of TIMS and ORSA and which puts
out Management Science as an academic journal) had an article on
simulation tools in two issues ago. It missed out on some important SD
software.
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From: "Phil Odence" <podence@hps-inc.com>

I now work for High Performance Systems. We have a simulation package called
ithink. At some conceptual level, its just like CAE, EDA, whatever its
called now--Draw the picture, push the simulation button, see what
happens--but that is an over simplification.

Thank you for your interest in ithink and STELLA II modeling software. We are
proud to announce our homw page on the WWW for your convenience. The URL is
as follows: http://www.hps-inc.com

If you have any questions or any problems viewing our web page, feel free to
contact us at 800-332-1202.

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From: Frank.Wagner@iao.fhg.de

Hello Dave,
try the following mailing list, they have a FAQ on tools.
LISTSERV@IS.TWI.TUDELFT.NL with INFO BPR-L in the body of the mail.

Test also our www page:
http://www.iao.fhg.de/Library/cscw/soft ... ow-en.html

Best Regards

Frank
- ---
Frank Wagner [Frank.Wagner@IAO.FhG.de] ~~~~~DoD#:738~~92-R100GSPD~/
/ University of Stuttgart, Institute for Human Factors and Technology r Management & Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering /
/ Nobelstr. 12c, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany, Tel.: +49-711-970-2029 r
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From: wakeland@ccgate.leupstv.com

Hi Dave--
Here at Leupold and Stevens we use ABC flowchart to document
processes.

I also teach computer modeling at PSU. My focus is on simulation,
using STELLA and ARENA. I assume you know about STELLA from High
Performance Systems. HPS also sells STELLA to the business community
under the name I-Think. Their applications manual emphasizes process
re-design.

ARENA (from Systems Modeling Corp. 412-741-3727) is a discrete system
simulation language with a graphical, icon-oriented front-end. It
has been used extensively by industrial engineers study manufacturing
processes.

Ive also looked at Extend (from Imagine That, Inc. 408-365-0305),
which features custom libraries containing icons (and their
associated logic) for a wide variety of application areas--one of
which is process modeling and redesign.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me or call me at
526-1482.

--Wayne Wakeland

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From: CrbnBlu@aol.com

Dave,

Based on your revised input heres what comes to mind:

If you go to my web page: http://www.radix.net/~crbnblu/welcome.html
you will find links to product comparisons on the Books and Articles
pages. These comparisons were written by others and nothing is every
complete.

If you just want to map the process but have some capability for
simulating down the road then it would seem you best bet is probably
Process Charter from Scitor. You can find names of people, address,
phone number and e-mail addresses in my web pages.

Process charter will give you all the tools to develop something that
is easily recognizable as a process, and it looks like an ordinary
flow chart, yet what you come up with can have numbers applied and run
as a simulation. Of all the packages I have looked at it is probably
the easiest to learn and the least expensive, probably $700 range.

When you do this, dont expect it to be "the Answer," as Process
Charter has lots of limitations when it comes to real simulation,
though its a real good starting point.

When you finally get to a point where you cant make Process Charter
jump though the hoops you need to you might consider buying a copy of
Greg Hansens book, "Automating Business Process Reengineering:
Breaking the TQM Barrier." Gregs book is a conceptual introduction to
the world of Modeling and Simulation and its uses the Extend package
from Imagine That. Note that Extend with the BPR and Manufacturing
libraries is about $1,500. To allow you determine whether its worth
the money or not, there is a demo version included in Gregs book,
along with sample models.

Process Charter is only available for the PC/Windows environment.
Extend is available for PC/Windows and Macintosh and the demo that
comes with Gregs book is only available in a Macintosh version. His
book is being revised and he said they will do a PC/Windows version
for the revision. So its probably good it you have access to both
Macintosh and Windows environments.

Gene..
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From: arto.jarvinen@softlab.se (Arto Jarvinen)
Subject: SOPRAN process support tool

Heres some additional general information on the Software Process
Assistant. All written material about SOPRAN is in Swedish so far. I
hope you will excuse any mistakes in my hasty translation of parts of
this material.

Ill go through the mails from each of you later to address specific
questions.

- ---

GENERAL

SOPRAN is a tool that supports the definition, adaptation, use and
improvement of processes. It is mainly intended for software
development and management processes.

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arto Jarvinen phone: +46-13-23 57 00
SoftLab ab fax: +46-13-23 57 99
Datalinjen 1 internet work: arto.jarvinen@softlab.se
583 30 Linkoping internet home: arto@softlab.lejonet.se
SWEDEN

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From: John McNeil <70661.2235@compuserve.com>

Actual review is Information Week. July 10th 1995

Ithink, Powersim, Process charter and Extend+manufacturing are reviewed.

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From: Bill Harris <billh@lsid.hp.com>

Dave,

If no one has told you yet, look at http://www.advanedge.com/. They are
physically located in Oregon, too.

Bill
- --
Bill Harris Hewlett-Packard Co.
R&D Productivity Department Lake Stevens Instrument Division
domain: billh@lsid.hp.com M/S 90
phone: (206) 335-2200 8600 Soper Hill Road
fax: (206) 335-2828 Everett, WA 98205-1298

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