Measuring the user acceptance of generic manufacturing simulation models by review of modeling assumptions

A measure of user acceptance for generic discrete manufacturing models is introduced. This measure is based on review of modeling assumptions and computed as the percentage of assumptions that are acceptable to the user. The assumptions, which describe the modeling options that are available in generic models, give the user a detailed account of the capabilities and limitations of the generic models. The assumption review process and the user acceptance measure are implemented within the framework of an intelligent simulation environment. GUIDES, an expert system, guides the user through the review of assumptions and generates the user acceptance scores. It is concluded that, although certain modifications can be made in the generic models to eliminate some of the rejections concerning the assumptions, the model acceptance, in general, is fairly high (91.78%)