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Here you can find very robust applications of System Dynamics that have made a big impact in the real world. The successful applications demonstrate what final products in this field look like and how they are used by leaders and policy-makers to tackle serious challenges that other methods just cannot handle.
Find out more about how the projects were implemented, insights about the models, and links to related publications and people to contact for more information.
Submissions Windows: Apr/May & Oct/Nov
System Dynamics Helps Farmers Escape Poverty Trap in Guatemala
Guatemala’s government implements policies to support small-scale farming and counteract effects of climate change.
Twinings Uses System Dynamics Games to Enhance HR Capability
A one-day workshop helps business executives to improve communication, collaboration, and decision-making while giving them powerful strategies and insights.
RSC Uses System Dynamics to Increase HVACR Sales Against the Tide
A forecasting model powered by System Dynamics helps RSC CEO identify main industry trends, foressee a downturn, and strengthen its position in a spectacular move.
Achieving a Polio-Free World Through System Dynamics Simulation
Scenario analysis leads to 192 country resolution and $100M in funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to target global eradication rather than an ongoing maintenance program.
MasterCard Halts Market Share Slide With Scenario Planning
Credit card giant leverages System Dynamics regaining 6 points of market share and revolutionizing the industry with co-branding.
System Dynamics Helps Reduce Waiting Lines for NHS Patients
Creative solutions were needed to tackle the elective recovery backlog under limited resources. System Dynamics allowed operational and clinical staff to test the impact of major interventions, aiding leaders decide how to best allocate resources, transform services to benefit patients, and reduce waiting times.
GM Creates the Telematics Industry Using System Dynamics
System Dynamics was used to fundamentally re-design a business strategy for General Motor’s OnStar service, now value in the billions of dollars. Through investments and policies suggested by modeling work, OnStar became the industry leader in vehicle telematics.
How to Implement Product Branding Strategies in Big Pharma
Over 100 System Dynamics models have been implemented internationally helping companies evaluate disease markets, doctor adoption, the R&D pipeline process, and more.
CDC Explores Solutions to Counter Diabetes Prevalence
A System Dynamics model helps understand the impact of interventions on the diabetes epidemic.
Fluor Avoids Costly Project Changes Saving $1.3bn
System Dynamics model used in hundreds of engineering projects assesses change impact and improves project management.
Du Pont Uses Game To Decrease Maintenance Costs By 20%
A System Dynamics game now popular at Du Pont shows the pitfalls of the “working harder” mentality for new process implementation and shows how to overcome it.
Netherlands Justice Identifies Leverage Points to Manage 40k More Cases
New policies increase the number of cases straining the justice department to follow its own deadlines. Insights from a model lead the Ministry to undertake another 8 projects using System Dynamics.
ONEgas Uses SAP System Data for System Dynamics Flight Simulator
ONEgas, owned by Shell and NAM, uses flight simulator to act on the capacity for work preparation and base crew, purchase time for material, and effective working hours.
Kenya District Uses System Dynamics To Manage Water Resources
A complex common-pool resource setting with immigrant populations relies on a simulation model to mediate water distribution conflicts and find a sustainable solution.
Pharma Company Uses System Dynamics Dashboard to Manage Product Life-Cycle
System Dynamics model enhances decision-making showing likely impact of investment in resources and training on products’ profitability.
Alk-Abello Revises Strategy For Lost Product and Recovers Profits in Two Years
A System Dynamics model helps to plan engagement strategies for doctors to adopt use of a medical device worth €1 million in annual profits.
Sarawak Redefines State Priorities with System Dynamics
Government officials use simulation to change from a resource based economy to a knowledge based one with focus on increasing technical education as well as R&D investment.
Strategic Supply Chain Investments at Pharmaceutical Company
A System Dynamics model supports millions of dollars investment into the most efficient initiatives for supply chain of drug products operation.
INCOSE UK Uses System Dynamics for Strategy Planning
System mapping helped INCOSE to grow demand for system engineering, encourage training, increase INCOSE membership, and more.
UK Government Uses System Dynamics to Forecast Employment Impact
The Urban Dynamics Model (UDM) shows the unintended consequences of improving access to employment regions and the impact in terms of money.
Energy Consumer Industries Look for Alternatives Under Climate Policy Regulations
An increase of energy costs affects competitiveness, costs, and economic performance of industries as shown from the long-run results of a System Dynamics simulation.
Mauritius Government Takes Integrated Approach on Energy Policy
As an island, Mauritius was very concerned about relying on other countries for energy and thus used a System Dynamics model to understand what alternatives were available.
NHS Improves Service Quality by Minimizing Hospital Discharges Delay
Lack of data was no impediment to the successful implementation of System Dynamics-based policies in local communities.
Indonesia Government Turns Back on Original Urban Planning Strategy
Indonesia Government Turns Back on Original Urban Planning Strategy In pioneering spatial planning management for metropolitan cities, the Ministry of Human Settlements and Regional Infrastructures Development of the Republic of Indonesia, started a project to build a...
Central Bank of Colombia Explores Monetary Policy
The Mechanisms of Transmission Model (MTM) modeled using System Dynamics helped the Bank navigate nominal depreciation, risk premium, and more.
U.S. Coast Guard Overhauls Logistics Support With System Dynamics
The next generation system of air, sea, information, and logistics support powered by a blend of System Dynamics, agent-based discrete events, and GIS.
FAA Makes Dynamic Decision-Making With Aviation Sector Model
System Dynamics model captures the entire aviation sector and stakeholder relationships, foresseeing the impact of ticket price and tax changes, new technologies, and more.
Iran’s Government Transitions Smoothly to a Free Market Model for the Cement Industry
A System Dynamics model helps cement companies to negotiate with the government, avoid price overshoot, and reduce consumer complaints.
Acute and Rehab Hospitals May Be Viable Under Medicare Cuts
A detailed System Dynamics model of the health context shows helath outcome projections for taxpayers, patients, providers, and communities.
The CDC Improves Policy Prioritization with up to 30% Less Costs
HealthBound, a serious game that uses System Dynamics, shows how communities can improve their health KPIs.
System Dynamics Helps CDC Explore Child-Obesity Reduction Policies
System Dynamics helps unveil the complexity of population obesity.
New Hospital Program Implemented with System Dynamics Simulation
The model addressed financial concerns from different stakeholders and helped set realistic expectations, determine critical success factors, and more.
Hospitals Strategize Surge Capacity Allocation Using System Dynamics
A System Dynamics model helps hospitals plan on how to suddenly increase their capacity in the case of disasters.
Texas Investigates Antibiotic Resistance with System Dynamics
In the USA, annual antibiotic prescriptions are estimated to cost an excess of $30bi in care per year as of 1994. System Dynamics can help stop avoidable deaths and costs.
Sandoz Positions Cholesterol Drug for Success
A System Dynamics model reveals the strengths and weaknesses of new drug entry and the best leverage points for success.
U.S. Justice Studies Cocaine Law Enforcement Relaxation Policy
The System Dynamics model suggests that eliminating drug seizures and retail-level arrests would reduce the criminal justice load, but could lead to a large increase in cocaine use and addiction.
Manufacturer Manages Workforce Using System Dynamics and OR
Major producer of diagnostic equipment used in semiconductor wafer fabrication uses simulation modeling to allocate expanding workforce and maintain field service quality.
CSX Transportation Avoids Gridlocks Using System Dynamics
A simulation model sheds light on bottlenecks, resource allocation, and scheduling in the freight railroad context.
Dow Chemical Powers Forecasting and Scenario Analysis with System Dynamics
Senior leadership exasperated by inacuracy of econometric model forecasting of commodity chemicals learns about System Dynamics and use alternative simulation.
Motorcycle Manufacturer Projects Parts and Accessories Sales
A System Dynamics simulation solves lack of information from the disconect between factory and retailing.
ETS Reduces Costs With Questions Inventory Management
A System Dynamics model helps maintain an adequate question pool with recycling strategies.
System Dynamics Reconciles Housing Association Players
System Dynamics modeling shifts mental models helping players align on social housing market transformation strategy.
US Communities Take Control of Local Health System
ReThink Health is a powerful System Dynamics simulator that allows community leadership to improve health outcomes, lower costs, increase quality care, and create more resilient communities.
Wellesley Institute Explores Toronto’s Health Landscape
The System Dynamics model is a powerful tool to ask “what if” questions and gives insight into how much, and how quickly, interventions can reduce mortality and morbidity in Toronto.
Standardizing Contracting Services Using System Dynamics
Starting with process management, the MG state government used System Dynamics and agent-based modeling to redefine critical processes.
Cavity Prevention is more Effective and Cheaper than Late Intervention
System Dynamics simulations show the mix of strategies needed to reduce tooth decay prevalence from 50% to 10% in 5-year-old US children.
Smart Allocation Decisions Helped by Human Resources Model
Understanding the underlying process structure using System Dynamics unveils delays and action opportunities for organizations from hospitals to software companies.
Air Traffic Workforce Oscillations Tamed With System Dynamics
System Dynamics model helps plan workforce capacity unveiling the causes for air traffic workforce shortages and surpluses.
UK Department of Health Invests $200 Mi to Counter Disease Transmission
A System Dynamics model reveals that transmission of vCJD (human form of “Mad Cow Disease”) via surgical instruments is higher than imagined and demands swift action.
London Underground Implements Massive Maintenance Using System Dynamics
A simulation model makes a huge maintenance effort possible by capturing maintenance progress and mediating financial bonuses for service operators.
Hugo Herrera
CASES KEEPER
Hugo Herrera cases@systemdynamics.org
The Cases Keeper is a Society volunteer who connects System Dynamics projects with our community. Key responsibilities include soliciting, receiving, assessing, and standardizing cases for publication on this website. The Cases Keeper reports to the VP Membership and works with the Society office. The length of the term is two years and appointment is made by the VP Marketing & Communications. Please feel free to ask any question you might have about the Case Repository.