SIMUL8 reviews

Ease of use and WONDERFUL customer experience

Opmerkingen: 10/10 - I would purchase again. I also took the training with customer service rep and that unlocked my use of the tool more than if I were to just buy and use without going.Both the reps are the two employees I interface with most and I can't say enough positive things about my experience as a customer and user. They already had the sale, they didn't need to keep helping me but I feel their attitude is for the product to truly help my decision making.

Pluspunten:

Product is easy to use but the absolute BEST feature is the support. I can shoot an email with a question and get a very helpful response in under a day or, even better, I have emailed them my file and had support respond with where my error was. I wish I could give them 6/5 stars in this category.

Minpunten:

In today's world we are spoiled with things like the iPhone "just working" and there are a few features that require some extra clicks when trying to make changes. Also could have more "flashy" charts/features but I just export the data to excel when needed to make these.

Powerful yet simple!

Opmerkingen: Overall positive experience and would definitely consider its use again in the future for other projects. It might have all the tools you can have in the world, the basics they have would definitely cover your needs!

Pluspunten:

There were many features in Simul8 that we could use that did a multitude of different functions. Simul8 Customer Rep was a big help and managed to find the tools we needed process a large amount of raw data into a simulated result that we were looking and aiming for! Their blog/technical corner was a godsend!

Minpunten:

There was an steep initial learning curve(just like using any new tool) but it became second nature after trial and errors; Graphical presentation is more barebone but the main info more than enough for stakeholders.

Great support staff. But poor documentation.

Pluspunten:

I value the availability of the support chat function. The support staff are very forthcoming and helpful.

Minpunten:

I need to use the visual logic functionality for most of my modelling. But the documentation for this is lacking. Comprehensive documentation, tutorials and documented examples would improve the experience significantly. The VL interface is also quite frustrating as compared to normal programming languages. Finding commands is difficult, and the use of the interface is not intuitive.

The best software to simulate discrete manufacturing processes simulation

Opmerkingen: I have a positive experience with Simul8. My final thoughts are:-If you are an engineer in a corporation and want to simulate discrete processes I absolutely recommend using simul8 over any other product in the market-If you are a freelancer or a simulation firm working for clients, this may not be the best choice for you. Either go for Anylogic, Simio, or Flexsim since they give you 3D capabilities

Pluspunten:

I have used Arena, Anylogic, and Simio prior to moving to simul8. I believe simul8 is the best option for 90% of users if you want to simulate discrete event processes. The main advantages of simul8 are:1) Extremely easy and intuitive2) Online trainings are helpful and set you up for success. You don't really need to google for majority of your needs3) Very affordable compare to other software that are usually +$20k per user. Simul8 costs only $5k / user Most importantly, based on my past experience you don't need a 3d simulation in your projects to communicate with stakeholders since they don't care about how beautiful your simulation is. Usually they don't even care how it looks!They only want results and recommendations. They know their processes very well and simulation is just a tool to help them make better decisions. So save your many and don't purchase an expensive software because they provide 3d visuals. Simul8 is the only tool you need if you are about to do discrete event simulation.

Minpunten:

Simul8 has weakness in two areas:1) Charts are very old school. They remind you of Window 98. They are good enough for yourself, but if you want to have them in your presentation I recommend exporting the data and using excel.2) All features are somewhere in properties and tabs. You need take your time to learn where they are and this takes time if you are simulating complex processes

Problem solver a simulation away

Opmerkingen: As a consulting firm that caters to pharma and medical devices industry, developing and design new custom-made manufacturing facilities were often needed. Simul8 allows us to easily design, validate and optimized plans and improve on strategies. Would definitely recommend to use in any industries!

Pluspunten:

With Simul8 we were able to develop a usable model that would meet the needs and requirements we have for the pharma and operations industry. We needed to have a system tailor-made to be able to leverage downtimes, equipment and being able to come up with strategies that fulfil stakeholders' requirement.

Minpunten:

Graphics of model results could need improvements but as software is regularly updated, so there were signs of improvement. Some interface and vocabs used were different than other software, which lead to some confusion but some questions could be solved with their academy contents.

SIMUL8 for healthcare use

Opmerkingen: The tool is great for modeling and addressing process throughput and constraint troubleshooting and forecasting. The SIMUL8 support team is also responsive and knowledgable.

Pluspunten:

Creating initial models in SIMUL8 is very easy - like Visio on steroids. Once we got the flow parameters of the processes we were simulating, the current state model was built in hours, not days or weeks. Doing what-if adjustments and scenarios in cycle times etc to test future state is relatively easy. The model scenarios show 2 critical things very quickly; the points of constraint in the process, and the ability to meet end to end process throughput goals.

Minpunten:

Would be great if the multiple scenario adjustments for future state modeling & results could be tried and recorded in more rapid fire/automated fashion. That would allow for quicker optimizing of future process throughput/cost etc. Another helpful tool enhancement would be to install SIMUL8 on top of current enterprise software platforms (ie. SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, etc) to monitor and record activity timing that would auto-create the current state SIMUL8 model. This is very sophisticated, I realize.

Simul8: engaging, intuitive and interactive simulation modelling

Opmerkingen: Simul8 allows for simulation models to be developed quickly and efficiently, due to the fact the interface and features are easy to use. My experience using Simul8 live in workshop settings in particular has been valuable - due to the ability to develop the simulations in an interactive and engaging manner. Further, the 1-to-1 coaching that Simul8 provide is brilliant - the coaches are very flexible, engaging and friendly, and really go the extra mile to support your development .

Pluspunten:

Simul8 delivered the most value through the ability to build complex models with an intuitive and easy to use interface. This ensured that different simulation scenarios could be run quickly and with confidence live in a workshop setting. Various parameters of the simulation can be rapidly flexed, such as resource numbers, shift patterns, process timings, etc. In turn, this allows for simulation modelling to be engaging and interactive, as well as effective in terms of delivering an accurate model with informative and pertinent results.

Minpunten:

As someone with no prior knowledge or experience in coding, I initially found it a challenge to get to grips with the Visual Logic code. However, after a few hours getting to grips with it, the language is actually quite intuitive, and more similar to excel commands in the way that it is used. Also, there is a sidebar that allows you to search for every command and provides a definition for what the respective command/Visual logic code does.

Powerful and user friendly!!!

Pluspunten:

The interface of the software is very intuitive and fast to use. All the needed tools for simulation are at a click available. The possibility to interact with VBA and Python makes it a good candidate to develop a digital twin. Simplicity of use also in complex environments and great customer support Team.

Minpunten:

Some more advanced features needs to be developed more in depth.

HND Manufacturing Engineering class

Opmerkingen: Extremely satisfying, I believe more organisations should be using Simul8. Students taught loved it, enjoyed the classes and spoke of trying to introduce current and future employers to Simul8

Pluspunten:

Extremely user friendly. Students spent time using it and barely needed to refer to my guidance and notes. They picked it up in their own way very quickly and competently.

Minpunten:

Students did not use the graphics options much which could've enhanced the aesthetics of their models. This does not necessarily mean they graphics options need improved but perhaps they were not attracted to use them as they didn't look appealing (they're used to photo type gaming graphics)

An SME using SIMUL8 in the Airports sector

Opmerkingen: Very positive.

Pluspunten:

The people behind SIMUL8 want to help and get you to achieve what you want from SIMUL8.

Minpunten:

It is quite expensive for an SME to purchase, maintain and learn.

SIMUL8 Initial Review

Opmerkingen: Overall, using SIMUL8 to build trial simulations has been great and very easy to use. Learning the basics is easy, especially if you have previous knowledge of the foundations of discrete event simulations. Although I shared criticisms of the 'availability' of information for more complex modelling, I would like to comment that this is addressed by the level of responsiveness and support provided by SIMUL8 after purchase.
When I had 'what if' questions with SIMUL8 or if I was looking to see if a particular modelling characteristic is possible, their help email is responsive (usually less than a day to respond) and detailed. They will work with you on recommendations on specific aspects of your simulations that you may have a question on. There are also forums that they provide for their users such as drop-in sessions where examples are shared by their consultants, which usually includes a question and answer period. Of course, their support team isn't going to build your simulations for you, but having a post-purchase support team that is able to answer complex questions through multiple forums (emails, drop in sessions) is extremely valuable.

Pluspunten:

Although SIMUL8 has not been used in a formal project, I will comment on the positives of the solution in the context of building trial simulations of areas in a healthcare setting. Previously, I built basic queuing model through spreadsheets. This was time consuming and limited to the basic pathways. In addition, it was difficult to build pathways which required resources or loops. It was night and day going from so much manual work to SIMUL8. From my experience, SIMUL8 has made building straight forward simulations, assigning resources and timing very easy. I would estimate multi stage queuing models now take me an hour to build, whereas formulation on a spreadsheet would have taken multiple days. Most of the software for simple modelling is quite intuitive - especially the basic building blocks. The other aspect that I enjoy with SIMUL8 is the built in statistical distribution tests through STAT:FIT. A major component of discrete event simulation is data availability and identification of the best distributions. Having built it into SIMUL8 makes it seamless to import data, test for best distribution, and enter the information into SIMUL8. The last aspect I would like to comment on as it relates to SIMUL8 isn't actually related to the software itself; rather the post-purchase support provided by the SIMUL8 team. As someone fairly new to using discrete event simulation software, I appreciate the responsiveness and detail provided by the help team to my questions.

Minpunten:

Most of the 'downsides' of the software I found isn't with the software itself, but the availability of information for new users. It would be helpful if the software came with a formal user manual or document. Although new users have access to SIMUL8 academy, the courseware does not cover all basic topics, so one would have to actively look for the information online on the SIMUL8 website. There is also minimal information or examples that is readily available around modelling more complex scenarios when one is more comfortable with SIMUL8. This information may or may not be on the SIMUL8 website. An example is the use of job matrix when resources aren't limited to one work stations or activity. This is a common occurrence in healthcare so having this taught as part of SIMUL8 academy would have been helpful.

A powerful tool

Opmerkingen: Overall I have had a very positive experience of using the software. We've used Simul8 for looking at explaining why ambulances queuing at emergency departments in recent years has increased. Currently are using it to look at staff required to deal with call demands at GP practices. We also use it for training other analysts to help them understand what discrete event simulation is and can do.

Pluspunten:

I find that the visualisation aspect of using Simul8 software for discrete event simulations really helps management and frontline staff to enagage in discussions around how to improve their system and gives them more confidence in results. Some of the features included make producing a model quicker for me than alternative solutions. One of the main reasons I'll use Simul8 over alternatives is the speed of reply and the very knowledgeable support staff. The ability to export full documentation of your model does help in making it more transparent to those who want to reproduce a similar model in alternative software and it does now connect to R as well as Excel. Really like the ability to use the online version of Simul8 as well as the desktop version. You can build simple models with the standard features quite rapidly which is great for beginners but the additional features like Optquest and Visual Logic expand its possibilities much further.

Minpunten:

The obvious one is being a commercial company there is always going to be a cost and my organisation being public sector means there is a push right now to use opensource solutions instead. I sometimes find the visual logic help on the website doesn't resolve my query but a quick sometimes usually export to R or Excel for final versions. It is possible to occasionally crash but I can't remember it ever not recovering my work.

SIMUL8 for Manufacturing Applications

Opmerkingen: Having over 24 years in the simulation field, I have used several different simulation packages. SIMUL8 has surfaced at the top of the list for several reasons: Low cost per seat, Ease of learning the tool, Power & Functionality of basic simulation objects, Ease of data import/export, Ease of analyzing results. SIMUL8 has proven to meet typical manufacturing design objectives such as:
1) Bottleneck Analysis and applying "Theory of Constraints" to designing and improving manufacturing operations.
2) Determining the optimal number of carriers within a material handling system (i.e. Power & Free, Electric Monorail, etc)
3) Determining optimal operator & resource utilization; including operating patterns & shift patterns.
4) Optimizing mixed model assembly lines; including scheduling and sequencing objectives. I have learned staying with proven basic simulation objects works best when building models. SIMUL8's "Visual Logic" contains enough commands and logical constructs to capture coding conditional events throughout complex areas within the process. Basically, learning how to apply basic "IF-Then" statements in conjunction with commands is all it takes to tap into its power. Cons: Limited graphics & annotation, Save often as model can lock-up, Operator Travel Links can become corrupt. Good point is with time... you can usually find work-around's to avoid some of the listed shortfalls.

Pluspunten:

I stay with the basic simulation building blocks and design and implement complex manufacturing designs.

Minpunten:

Annotation and screen graphics are lacking. Operator travel links can become corrupt.

Powerful and intuitive

Opmerkingen: I used SIMUL8 mainly in the healthcare sector. I may have done in the last 5 years approximately ten projects, big and small. I also use SIMUL8 with my students to teach operations management. SIMUL8 is powerful because it is fast but also because it is intuitive. This makes the results of a simulation easy to explain to customers that are not familiar with simulation.

Pluspunten:

The pros: The software is intuitive and easy-to-use. It has all the features to simulate complex organizations. I have been using it regularly since 2014. SIMUL8 is constantly being improved and users are involved in setting priorities for new developments. The SIMUL8 team offers excellent support. They have engineers experienced in all types of industries. In the field for which I mainly work (health care), I have always found all the support I needed for my projects. I have tested other simulation software and can confirm that SIMUL8 is powerful, well designed and robust. Its cost (license and maintenance) is very competitive compared to other simulation software.

Minpunten:

3D animation is not the strength of SIMUL8, but the 3D animation features offered by SIMUL8 are more than enough to test, debug and present the simulation results to customers. 3D animation is not the most important feature of a simulation program. Simulation speed and presentation of results are essential and SIMUL8 is fast and provides results that are easy to manage and interpret.

Assessment

Opmerkingen: My initial 6 months with using and learning the software has been nothing short of exceptional!
The customer support and development team have been incredibly helpful, skilled, and overly available to assist me during my initial learning phase.

Pluspunten:

Ease of use Sophisticating modeling potential Training resources Sample models 1:1 Model development with knowledgeable developers

Minpunten:

More updated standard graphics related to my industry - healthcare

Powerful, Flexible, Easy to Use

Opmerkingen: I work for a medical device company, and our customers are physicians and hospitals. I have used this software to simulate how cath labs and device follow-up clinics operate, and how they can increase efficiency. I have published results in a peer reviewed medical journal and used output to influence internal strategies. The method (discrete event simulation) and the tool (SIMUL8) form an intuitive and powerful message. The support from the company is top notch. The software downloads, installs and operates easily. I don't often need help, but when I run into problems they immediately point me in the right direction for resolution, often going beyond what I ask for to point out better/more efficient ways of solving the problem than I had considered.

Pluspunten:

Flexibility - I can simuate most anything I can imagine Ease of use - I tried other simulators and could barely get simple simulations to work, with SIMUL8 I had reasonable simulations going within days of completing the training Power/Efficiency - I have simulated hundreds of thousands of virtual patients in a single simulation on a Windows laptop

Minpunten:

The documentation of some of the more esoteric functions can be a little thin. This is easily overcome with a quick message to the support desk where they immediately give a good explanation.

Useful For Work Flow Planning

Opmerkingen: I used this product in depth to help consulting clients see and understand their process dynamics. I found this product excellent for that purpose. I found I was able to use video recordings of current and future state simulations to convince people to go forward with particular process improvement plans. I struggled a bit with modeling the process at the right level of detail, but that was a learning curve issue of mine. I would definitely buy this product again for this purpose.

Pluspunten:

Easy to set up models quickly. Capable of modeling detailed nuances if you want it. Cloud-based functionality available.

Minpunten:

There's a learning curve. (But it's worth it.) Hard to record videos of a simulation run. (I used a third-party program.) Hard to know what level of detail to use.

Excellent Simulation software...

Opmerkingen: Excellent software to develop production planning & scheduling solutions..

Pluspunten:

Very easy to build any discrete process and writing logics is easy. Very less license cost and supports com interface..

Minpunten:

Not possible build the simulaion in3D. No OPC interface.

Synamic - Simul8

Opmerkingen: We're using simul8 as an addition to our consultancy activity so the application differs from customer to customer. But so far we used it as;
- a planning tool for an existing factory.
- bottle neck analysis.
- reviewing factory expension concepts.

Pluspunten:

It's easy to learn the basics and as soon as you get the hang of it, it's very easy to increase the level of difficulty in your models. Web engine makes it very easy to show at customers. The share functionallity gives our customers the ability to work with the model themselves.

Minpunten:

It would be a great feature if desktop and web-version acces files from the same cloud based folder.

Great software and company

Opmerkingen: We have been using Simul8 at our organization for about 3 years. The software, in its simplest form, is easy enough for a novice user to pick up and create a quick simulation, but it also provides a variety of features to make your simulation as complex as you need it to be. I have found Simul8's customer support to be top-notch, responding within hours. They have helped with both technical questions, as well as more conceptual questions. The company is always looking for ways to improve their software and provide regular updates to enhance the functionality.

Invaluable Customer Service

Pluspunten:

I would first like to highlight that this is not a review of Simul8 but is feedback of the immense customer support I recently received. I was recently in contact with [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN], an employee at Simul8, regarding assistance with a project I am currently undertaking in my final year of my mathematics degree at university. Not only was [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] extremely considerate of my lack of knowledge within Simul8, but his impressive depth of knowledge and thoroughness of his teachings has helped to provide invaluable information and insight into Simul8's diverse and powerful modelling tools. I cannot articulate how magnificent [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] was and highly recommend that any queries or troubles one may encounter with Simul8 that you seek [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] support; he is an erudite in Simul8!

Minpunten:

I have nothing negative to say regarding Simul8.

Good for teaching simulation.

Pluspunten:

I use Simul8 as part of teaching students about Discrete Event Simulation. Simul8 is easy to use, shows all of the basics of simulation modelling, and can model a wide range of scenarios. My students seemed to enjoy using it and generally found it easy to use and the support on the website adequate to expand their skills and build relatively complex models. The support team were also very helpful to me when developing my course.

Minpunten:

The educational version doesn't have all of the functionality of some of the other simulation products. One of the downsides of Simul8 doing most of the analysis for you is that if you want students to do things themselves, then you sometimes need a bit of extra work, which is not always easy within fairly short workshops. A very minor point is that the MORE plots produced do not have confidence intervals on the quantile estimates.

Discrete Event Simulation in Civil Service - very helpful

Opmerkingen: Very helpful for facilitating Discreet Event Simulation Modelling, particularly for sharing with stakeholders. Sometimes a little slow and glitches do seem to appear, although this could just be me.

Pluspunten:

Ability to label work items and visually show how they move through a system. Incredibly helpful Customer Service from [SENSITIVE CONTENT] following a bootcamp.

Minpunten:

Slow to extract raw data from and glitches.

Modelling for cycle time-based manufacturing units

Pluspunten:

It is possible to create different conditions - with different product grades, cycle times depending of these product grades, clean up times etc. - and see the differences when comparing scenarios, since it is possible to input distributions: by doing this, it is possible to create Monte Carlo simulations and have a more accurate anaylsis than doing usual spreadsheet predictions.

Minpunten:

To create intermediate-advanced simulations (multi-product, different process times etc.), it is necessary to understand the concepts of the software - just like how the software uses labels - and also have some background on programming skills (not necessary to be a programmer, but it is really desirable to know at least the basics). So, the learning curve is somehow steep, but I think this initial effort is worthy, considering the potential uses of the software.

Great software for teaching simulations

Pluspunten:

I used SIMUL8 in teaching, and it's great both to give students experience building simulations and to help them understand the importance and value of probability distributions generally. The fact that students can build simulations without coding is really helpful, and the graphics help the concepts become really clear to students.

Minpunten:

From my experience teaching with the software, it works very well, and there is nothing to say I like least.