@article{GENERAL,
      author = {Rigby, J and Knight, S},
      url = {http://library.imarest.org/record/10652},
      journal = {Conference Proceedings of INEC},
      title = {Discrete Event Simulation: providing a unique modelling  solution for complex defence planning},
      abstract = {Critical decisions are being made today which will shape  the delivery of Navy capability for decades. At the defence  programme level, design and planning decisions are already  challenging and complex. At the enterprise level, these  programmes must be considered collectively as decisions are  made for the future of facility, infrastructure, workforce,  crewing, and supply chain requirements. The growing  complexity of these systems provides the opportunity for  new analytical tools to support the design and planning  choices being made. In an increasingly digital world, it is  vital to embrace new modelling and simulation tools to  inform capability sustainment, acquisition, and support  system decision making. One modelling and simulation  technique growing in popularity in defence is Discrete  Event Simulation (DES).
DES models consider a system as a  discrete collection of events, with each event having some  defined effect on the rest of the system. The individual  processes comprising a system can be defined in terms of  their system trigger and impact, and resource requirements.  Complex and integrated problems can then be split into  simplified modules. The configuration of these modules is  analysed and optimised, and key dependencies between  modules are clearly defined. DES has a range of benefits  over continuous simulation models including speed and  configurability. Since the system is defined from the  bottom up, changes to low level processes can be trialled  rapidly and without having to reconfigure high level  logic.
The significance of the approach explored in this  paper is that Navy support systems are modelled together as  a holistic enterprise, yielding powerful insights into the  dynamics caused by the interplay between these systems.  Extant modelling approaches are limited by the assumption  that system interdependencies are always adequately met,  and so any insights into the cascading effects of  constraints on external system bandwidth are lost.
The  holistic DES approach examined in this paper provides a  superior decision-making support tool, which is already  being utilised in the Australian Defence sector and could  provide benefits to European Defence communities. DES is  ideal for testing trade-off scenarios before they become a  costly reality. With this approach, the operation of  enterprise level systems spanning decades can be simulated  in seconds, providing a valuable insight into how design  decisions being made today will impact the capability in  the next generation.},
      number = {GENERAL},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.24868/10652},
      recid = {10652},
      address = {2022-08-16},
}