Simulation and Advanced Computation Laboratory

Simulation is an extremely powerful technology for designing, analyzing, and evaluating manufacturing and service systems. Simulation is used to assess new and existing processes and to enhance performance (improve operational policies, utilize resources more efficiently, reduce inventory, increase throughput, and more). These benefits are realized by first describing a system’s processes using simulation software and then conducting experiments with the computer model.

The mission of the Simulation and Advanced Computation (SAC) Laboratory is to play a pivotal role in helping organizations optimize their processes using this advanced technology. The SAC Laboratory is a state-of-the-art research, education, and training facility that also provides comprehensive decision support to organizations on:

• the modeling process – from conceptual design through implementation
• strategic and tactical issues that need to be addressed in a simulation project
• simulation software alternatives including the design and development of custom simulation and optimization software

The SAC Laboratory is staffed with systems engineering professionals specializing in:

• Planning simulation projects
• Determining the level of model detail
• Collecting, analyzing, and documenting data
• Modeling randomness in systems
• Validating simulation models of systems
• Conducting analyses with simulation models to determine "best courses of action"
• Applying the best courses of action to the real system

About the Director: Dr. Bowden is Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering. He received his Ph.D. in 1992 and joined the industrial engineering faculty at Mississippi State University. Prior to joining Mississippi State, Dr. Bowden worked in manufacturing engineering positions with Texas Instruments (Dallas, TX) and Martin Marietta Aerospace (New Orleans, LA). His research in the areas of systems modeling and analysis, machine learning, and nonlinear optimization is funded by numerous organizations including the National Science Foundation. He recently created the optimization engine for SimRunner, the core component of ProModel Corporation’s Optimization Suite of simulation software. Dr. Bowden is also the faculty advisor for Alpha Pi Mu and is a member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, INFORMS, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, American Society of Engineering Education, and Sigma Xi.