We introduce a generic simulation framework suitable for agent-based simulations featuring the support of heterogeneous agents, hierarchical scheduling and flexible specification of design parameters. One key aspect of this framework is the design specification: we use an XML-based format which is simple-structured yet still enables the design of flexible models. Another issue in agent-based simulations, especially when ready-made components are used, is the heterogeneity arising from both the agents' implementations and the underlying platforms. To tackle these kind of obstacles, we introduce a wrapper technique for mapping the functionality of agents living in an interpreter-based environment to a standardized JAVA interface, thus facilitating the task for any control mechanism (like a simulation manager) because it has to handle only one set of commands for all agents involved. Again, this mapping is made by an XML-based definition format. We demonstrate the technique by applying it to a simple sample simulation of two mass marketing firms operating in an artificial consumer environment. / Series: Report Series SFB "Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science"

We introduce a generic simulation framework suitable for agent-based simulations featuring the support of heterogeneous agents, hierarchical scheduling, and flexible specification of design parameters. One key aspect of this framework is the design specification: we use a format based on the Extensible Markup Language (XML) that is simple-structured yet still enables the design of flexible models, with the possibility of varying both agent population and parameterization. Further, the tool allows the defi- nition of communication channels to single or groups of agents, and handles the information exchange. Also, both (groups of) agents and communications channels can be added and removed at runtime by the agents, thus allowing dynamic settings with the agent population and/or communication structures varying during the simulation time. A second issue in agent-based simulations, especially when readymade components are used, is the heterogeneity arising from both the agents' implementations and the underlying platforms: for this, we introduce a wrapper technique for mapping the functionality of agents living in an interpreter-based environment to a standardized JAVA interface, thus facilitating the task for any control mechanism (like a simulation manager). Again, this mapping is made by an XML-based definition format. (author's abstract) / Series: Working Papers SFB "Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science"

The paper studies the impact of a diversification vs. a core-competence oriented strategy using an agent-based simulation model. The aim of the paper is twofold: first, we analyze whether agent-based models are a viable tool for analyzing questions related to corporate strategy. We show that standard results from the strategy literature can indeed be reproduced and refined by using this type of models. Second, the agent-based model allows us to formulate more precise hypotheses and more precisely delineate the scope of situations in which standard results from the strategy literature apply. For the problem of diversification analyzed in this paper, the results from the agent-based simulation lead to the conclusion that in addition to environmental dynamics, overall market size is also an important factor, which was not considered in the previous literature. / Series: Working Papers SFB "Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science"

Healthcare systems are traditionally characterised by complexity and heterogeneity. With the continuous increase in size and shrinkage of available resources, the healthcare sector faces the challenge of delivering high quality services with fewer resources. Healthcare organisations cannot be seen in isolation since the services of one such affects the performance of other healthcare organisations. Efficient management and forward planning, not only locally but rather across the whole system, could support healthcare sector to overcome the challenges. An example of closely interwoven organisations within the healthcare sector is the emergency medical services (EMS). EMS operate in a region and usually consist of one ambulance service and the available accident and emergency (A&E) departments within the coverage area. EMS provide, mainly, pre-hospital treatment and transport to the appropriate A&E units. The life-critical nature of EMS demands continuous systems improvement practices. Modelling and Simulation (M&S) has been used to analyse either the ambulance services or the A&E departments. However, the size and complexity of EMS systems constitute the conventional M&S techniques inadequate to model the system as a whole. This research adopts the approach of distributed simulation to model all the EMS components as individual and composable simulations that are able to run as standalone simulation, as well as federates in a distributed simulation (DS) model. Moreover, the hybrid approach connects agent-based simulation (ABS) and discrete event simulation (DES) models in order to accommodate the heterogeneity of the EMS components. The proposed FIELDS Framework for Integrated EMS Large-scale Distributed Simulation supports the re-use of existing, heterogeneous models that can be linked with the High Level Architecture (HLA) protocol for distributed simulation in order to compose large-scale simulation models. Based on FIELDS, a prototype ABS-DES distributed simulation EMS model was developed based on the London EMS. Experiments were conducted with the model and the system was tested in terms of performance and scalability measures to assess the feasibility of the proposed approach. The yielded results indicate that it is feasible to develop hybrid DS models of EMS that enables holistic analysis of the system and support model re-use. The main contributions of this thesis is a distributed simulation methodology that derived along the process of conducting this project, the FIELDS framework for hybrid EMS distributed simulation studies that support re-use of existing simulation models, and a prototype distributed simulation model that can be potentially used as a tool for EMS analysis and improvement.

The behavior of boundedly rational agents in two interacting markets is investigated. A discrete-time model of coupled financial and consumer markets is described. The integrated model consists of heterogenous consumers, financial traders, and production firms. The production firms operate in the consumer market, and offer their shares to be traded on the financial market. The model is validated by comparing its output to known empirical properties of real markets. In order to better explore the influence of model parameters on behavior, a novel Markov chain Monte Carlo method is introduced. This method allows for the efficient exploration of large parameter spaces, in order to find which parameter regimes lead to reproduction of empirical phenomena. It is shown that the integrated markets model can reproduce a number of empirical "stylized facts", including learning-by-doing effects, fundamental price effects, low autocorrelations, volatility clustering, high kurtosis, and volatility-volume correlations. (author's abstract) / Series: Working Papers SFB "Adaptive Information Systems and Modelling in Economics and Management Science"

Une des préoccupations de la société est de trouver un compromis entre le développement des territoires et la protection de la faune sauvage. La prise en compte des déplacements des animaux lors de projets d’aménagement nécessite de connaître les comportements des différentes espèces et de définir ce qui a une influence sur leur localisation et sur la sélection de leur lieu de vie. Notre objectif est de pouvoir représenter les déplacements d’animaux sur un espace géographique précisément décrit afin ensuite de simuler et d’évaluer les conséquences des aménagements.Nous avons commencé par analyser l’influence des éléments du paysage sur les déplacements à partir de localisations connues d’animaux comme des traces GPS (suivis menés par l’ELIZ, l’ANSES, l’ONCFS, l’INRA)et de données de description de l’espace notamment la BD TOPO®. Les cas d’étude correspondent à des milieux différents et à trois espèces : renard, chevreuil et cerf. Nous avons pu confirmer le rôle de certains caractères de l’espace selon les cas d’étude. Par exemple les préférences spatiales lors des déplacements des renards en milieu périurbain semblent se porter sur la végétation arborée et des lieux peu occupés par les hommes pendant certaines parties de la journée (parcs, zones d’activités, le long des voies ferrées). Concernant les cervidés en milieu forestier, la pente et le type de peuplement paraissent avoir le plus d’influence sur les déplacements.À l’aide des connaissances extraites par les analyses et de la littérature, nous avons défini et implémenté dans la plateforme GeOxygene un modèle de simulation de déplacements d’animaux. Les trajectoires sont construites par une approche agent reprenant le comportement spatial selon l’espèce et l’influence des éléments du paysage favorables ou faisant obstacle. Nous effectuons une analyse critique de notre modèle puis nous proposons des pistes d’enrichissement à l’aide de la comparaison avec les observations et le retour des écologues. Enfin des scénarios d’aménagement sont testés dans le but de mettre en évidence leur impact et leur efficacité. / Finding compromises between human development and wildlife protection is one concern of society.Taking into account animal movements in planning projects requires some knowledge on species behaviours and on what determines their localizations and their habitat places. Our goal is to be able to represent animal movements on an accurate geographical space in order to simulate and to evaluate the consequences of planning decisions. We first analysed how the features of the landscape influence movements from collected localizations on animals, for example GPS tracks (studies of ELIZ, ANSES, ONCFS, INRA) and from data describing spacesuch as BD TOPO®. The studied cases are about several types of environment and three species: red fox,roe deer and red deer. We found some results that confirm the role played by the spatial features,depending on the studied cases. For instance in a periurban environment, foxes seem to be more inwooded patches and in places with few human activities during some parts of the day (squares, areas with industrial or commercial activities, sides of railways). In a forested environment, deers are more likely to be influenced by slope and forest stands. Thanks to knowledge from data analyses and to literature, we defined a simulation model for animalmovements. We implemented it in the GeOxygene platform. The trajectories are built with an agent approach by taking into account the spatial behaviour of the species and the influence of elements that favour or hinder movements. We proposed a critical view of the modelling choices and some improvements from the comparison with observations and experts advices. Then, scenarios within frastructures are defined so that to identify their impact and their efficiency.

Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, has been attracting attention from practitioners as well as academicians with its continuous evolution from being used primarily for prototyping to now end-product production. Despite this technology's current and future potential, few studies indicate that AM has not been extensively used across all industries. This dissertation addresses knowledge gaps by providing theoretical and empirical support for adopting AM through three essays that study the role of AM in restructuring supply chains. Essay 1 provides systematic support for AM implementation by developing a typology derived from technology-specific potentials and challenges to adopting AM. This study uses an exploratory research approach to collect and analyze data from semi-structured interviews of practitioners with deep knowledge of AM and supply chains from diverse industries. In Essay 2, our results show that AM adoption positively influences supply chain responsiveness and, in turn, reshoring decisions. Essay 3 compares different supply chain configurations based on traditional and AM. We developed a hybrid simulation model combining discrete event simulation and agent-based simulation and compared the performance in terms of wait time and costs. Our results indicate that under certain conditions, the centralized configuration delivers spare parts faster than the distributed configuration, contrary to previous literature findings. However, a hybrid configuration (a combination of centralized and decentralized) provides a better response (reduced wait time) than the traditional, centralized, and decentralized configurations. Collectively, the three essays provide academicians and practitioners with a more comprehensive understanding of how AM creates value for supply chains.