1. Simulation

2.  A simulation takes a set of data and project it over time using a formula. Sales for Customer A Sales for Customer B TIME TodayNext YearTwo Years Sales for Customer A Sales for Customer B Sales for Customer A Sales for Customer B Formula

3. Main Concepts  There are 4 main components:  Elements (the data) ›Products, Customers, …  Time ›January, February, …  Formula ›Sales February = Sales January + Sales January * 0.5)  Component = ›Component Sales ›Component Expenses ›Component Results SalesExpenses Results In order to simulate the Results it is necessary to simulate the Sales and the Expenses

4. Elements / Time / Formula Component JanuaryFebruaryMarch… Apple11.5… Banana Orange Time Elements Formula: Sales February = Sales January + Sales January * 0.5) Component A simulation component is one of these tables where the values are calculated.

5. Parameters  In order to obtain more interesting formulas we will need parameters:  Sales February = Sales January + Sales January * growth index)

6. Multidimensional Parameters  The parameters must have the possibility of changing their values between products, months, etc.  growth index (Apple) = 0.5  growth index (Banana) = 0.6  The use of combinations must be possible:  growth index (Apple, January) = 0.55  growth index (Banana, January) = 0.65

7. Order of resolution  To solve the order of resolution the concept of scope must be introduced:  Parameter: growth index ›1 Find by: Product, Month ›2 Find by: Product  growth index (Apple) = 0.5  growth index (Apple, January) = 0.55

8. Life Cycle 1.Definition (Components, Formulas, etc.) 2.Execution (Store the results in database) 3.View Results (O3) 1 3 2

9. Parameters maintenance  The parameters tables, and maintenance applications are automatically generated (if it is necessary) from the simulation definition.

10. Other Things  Metadata about Simulation  Repository for such Metadata  Component dependencies  Versions of parameters  “Escenario” (Spanish)  O3 Analysis:  Graphs, Rules, Query, Scorecards, Reports, …  Web Access  ….

11. Why not Excel ? The first solution to this problem may be Excel, but …

12. Excel Problems  There is no Metadata or Repository  Elements may be rows  Time may be columns  Formulas ›$A45 + F18 ??, what is that ?  Storage of results, Excel ?  Parameters ?  Excel dependencies ?  $A45 + F18 + ‘C:\My Documents\Accounts.xls!Banking…  Versioning, “Escenario” management ?