Normally, if all activities may be performed during the same shift or block of time (e.g. an 8 to 5 shift), it is unnecessary to simulate the activities by shift. In such cases you simply run the simulation for a time equal to the sum of all the time periods. For example, to model a full week of a process that is performed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, simply run the simulation for 40 hours.
In situations where one or more activities are performed during different shifts or time periods, it may be useful to reflect this difference in a schedule during the simulation. In such instances you must decide whether it makes sense to model full days or consolidate only those portions of each day when work is being done.
Suggested Technique
1. Define a default schedule for all activities that occur during “normal” hours as follows:
1. In the Simulation -> Options dialog (Files tab), select Default Activity Shift File and click Create Shift… to open the shift editor.
2. Using the Shift Editor , specify a shift to be used as the normal or default shift.
3. After closing the Shift Editor, assign the created shift file as the Default shift.
2. Define a schedule for each activity that has a working period that is different than the normal working period. This is done as follows:
1. Select Create Shift… in the Activity dialog under the Schedule tab. This opens the Shift Editor.
2. Using the Shift Editor, specify a shift to be used for this activity.
3. Enter the name of this shift file in the Shift File field of the Activity dialog.
Example: Orders arriving between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. are placed in an in-basket. Processing of orders, however, is done at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
TO DO: Create a shift file for 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and enter it as the default activity shift file in the Options dialog (the in-basket will use this shift). Create another shift file 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and enter it as the shift file for the Process Order activity.
- For creating, editing, and assigning shift files, see Shift Definition. Also see Shifts & Breaks for Resources.