(1993) Akkermans – Participative business
modeling for strategic operations
management
(1993) Akkermans - Participative Business modeling for Strategic Operations Management
Introduction:
Reasons of why simulation modelling should be a standard element of any strategic decision-making
activity:
1. Excellence in operations and logistics performance has become os such crucial importance for
business success that a thorough analysis of any strategic operations issue nowadays seems esssntial
2. Operations issues tend to be very complex and demanding from a technical point of view.
Complexity is such that formal models are required to analyse effectively the effects of any decision
in strategic operations issues.
3. There is a wide array of mathematical models developed within the fiels of operations
research/management science precisely for operations issues.
--> in reality in the majority of strategic operations decisions the use of modelling and simulation is
absent and for the remainder its use is rather limited.
(in reality, use of modelling and simulation is absent)
Research setting:
The LogSim research project focuses on developing a consultancy method called Participative
Business Modelling (PBM) to support strategic decision-making in operations. The project consists of
two parts: 1) the initial development of the consultancy method based on literature reviews, 2)
testing and refining the method through case studies conducted by the author.
After each case study, "boil down sessions" are held to extract general insights for method
refinement.
The Client Company:
The client company involved in the project is a time-critical business acquired by a major magazine
publisher and distributor in Holland, specializing in importing and distributing foreign newspapers
throughout the country.
The client company was facing challenges in its internal distribution process, which was scheduled to
move to a new building. They had implemented strategic decisions to improve delivery speed by
setting up a new distribution facility with a new crew, combining personnel from different
distribution companies.
modeling for strategic operations
management
(1993) Akkermans - Participative Business modeling for Strategic Operations Management
Introduction:
Reasons of why simulation modelling should be a standard element of any strategic decision-making
activity:
1. Excellence in operations and logistics performance has become os such crucial importance for
business success that a thorough analysis of any strategic operations issue nowadays seems esssntial
2. Operations issues tend to be very complex and demanding from a technical point of view.
Complexity is such that formal models are required to analyse effectively the effects of any decision
in strategic operations issues.
3. There is a wide array of mathematical models developed within the fiels of operations
research/management science precisely for operations issues.
--> in reality in the majority of strategic operations decisions the use of modelling and simulation is
absent and for the remainder its use is rather limited.
(in reality, use of modelling and simulation is absent)
Research setting:
The LogSim research project focuses on developing a consultancy method called Participative
Business Modelling (PBM) to support strategic decision-making in operations. The project consists of
two parts: 1) the initial development of the consultancy method based on literature reviews, 2)
testing and refining the method through case studies conducted by the author.
After each case study, "boil down sessions" are held to extract general insights for method
refinement.
The Client Company:
The client company involved in the project is a time-critical business acquired by a major magazine
publisher and distributor in Holland, specializing in importing and distributing foreign newspapers
throughout the country.
The client company was facing challenges in its internal distribution process, which was scheduled to
move to a new building. They had implemented strategic decisions to improve delivery speed by
setting up a new distribution facility with a new crew, combining personnel from different
distribution companies.
