How do I Simulate Resource Sharing?

Sharing resources between two or more activities. Useful when a resource may be used at more than one activity.

Suggested Technique

1. Connect the resource to the activities that use it.
2. Optionally define priorities where activities have higher or lower priority.
3. Check respond immediately when an activity may interrupt another activity’s use of the resource.

Example: A law office has a shared pool of 8 paralegals that perform various activities in the office. When a file is routed to the Point-of-Law Research activity a paralegal is required, and when a file is routed to Appellate Research a paralegal is also required. Both activities have been defined with a capacity of 8 in order to take full advantage of the paralegals when they are available.

TO DO: Define the Paralegal as a resource with a quantity of 8 as shown above. Connect the Paralegal to the two activities which require their service. Once a paralegal is available, the activity that is waiting for him or her may be performed.