MIT System Dynamics Seminar | Document the Model! What about the Modeling Process?

Please visit the MIT System Dynamics Seminars page for more information.

You are invited to attend the System Dynamics Seminar being held on Friday, December 8^th from 12:30-2:00pm EST in the Jay W. Forrester conference room, E62-450, or via Zoom: https://mit.zoom.us/j/98105285349 (Password: SDFA23). Our guest speaker will be Warren Farr (Informed Dynamic Solutions) presenting Document the Model! What about the Modeling Process? (see abstract and brief bio below, announcement and paper attached). Lunch will be provided to those attending in person and a reminder email will be sent out closer to the date.

If you would also like to schedule a 30-minute 1:1 meeting with him before or after the seminar, please fill out the following link by COB Friday, December 1^st and I will confirm times and location with a calendar invite: https://rallly.co/invite/CM6MpCN2rGWb. Please notify me if you need to meet over Zoom instead

Abstract:              Documenting the process of building a simulation model is different from documenting the simulation model itself. Good model-building practice includes the discovery of potentially large sets of multimedia data. Organizing and documenting data and the process of collecting it has several advantages including: tightly linking data to its source and the timing of its discovery; separating source data from researcher inference (allowing for independent inspection); maintaining an evolutionary timeline; and easily sharing source data among participants and researchers. The topic of documenting models has been widely discussed. In contrast, this article proposes a data structure and its methods for documenting the process of building a simulation model.

This talk will focus on the motivations for building DynamicVu, an online software for documenting the modeling process using the data structure proposed in the SDR paper. Participants will be asked to reflect on the pros and cons of documenting the modeling process leading to an interactive discussion about best practices for documenting the model and the modeling process. How can such practices be supported in future software tools?

Brief Bio:             Warren Farr holds an MS in System Dynamics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA degree from Duke University. Warren is a seasoned business leader with over 35 years of experience. With a technical background, he focuses on how business opportunities change over time and the profitable use of technology. He has been using System Dynamics for the past 15 years to create succinct and engaging strategies that are successfully implemented. Warren is currently vice-chairman of Refrigeration Sales Corporation, a US regional distributor of heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, parts, and supplies. He is also the president of Informed Dynamic Systems, where he creates database solutions and system dynamic simulation models and coaches others in the use of system dynamics. Warren has served on the Policy Council of the System Dynamics Society and is currently a member of its Stewardship Committee.