A Hybrid Simulation Framework of Consumer-to-Consumer Ecommerce Space

In the past decade, ecommerce transformed the business models of many organizations. Information Technology leveled the playing field for new participants, who were capable of causing disruptive changes in every industry. Web 2.0 or Social Web further redefined ways users enlist for services. It is now easy to be influenced to make choices of services based on recommendations of friends and popularity amongst peers. This research proposes a simulation framework to investigate how actions of stakeholders at this level of complexity affect system performance as well as the dynamics that exist between different models using concepts from the fields of operations engineering, engineering management, and multi-model simulation. Viewing this complex model from a systems perspective calls for the integration of different levels of behaviors. Complex interactions exist among stakeholders, the environment and available technology. The presence of continuous and discrete behaviors coupled with stochastic and deterministic behaviors present challenges for using standalone simulation tools to simulate the business model. We propose a framework that takes into account dynamic system complexity and risk from a hybrid paradigm. The SCOR model is employed to map the business processes and it is implemented using agent based simulation and system dynamics. By combining system dynamics at the strategy level with agent based models of consumer behaviors, an accurate yet efficient representation of the business model that makes for sound basis of decision making can be achieved to maximize stakeholders\u27 utility

Business Model Mapping: A Social Lending Case Study And Preliminary Work

Transformation in the financial industry as a result of the financial crises, changing customer behaviors, constant innovations based on information technology, the Internet, and financing services offered by non-banks is here to stay. Web 2.0 or Social Web further redefined the ways users enlist for services. It is now easy to be influenced to make choices of services based on recommendations of friends and popularity amongst peers. Information technology is leveling the playing field for new participants, who are capable of causing disruptive changes, in every industry. These inter-playing reasons have led to the critical reception of nontraditional peer-to-peer financing models to counter the effects of the rigid lending practices of conventional banking. Lenders can now pool their resources together online and make them available as loans at a premium to borrowers who need it. This increases the efficiency of the financing process by reducing the rigor experienced from traditional banking. Little is known about peer-to-peer (P2P) lending. This paper maps the value chain activity of the peer lending space and identifies future work with respective implementation using agents

Agent-Based Modeling Simulation And Its Application To Ecommerce

In the past decade, ecommerce created new business models. Information Technology leveled the playing field for new participants, who were capable of causing disruptive changes in every industry. We investigate how actions of stakeholders (represented by agents) in an ecommerce system affect system performance. Viewing consumer-to-consumer ecommerce from a systems perspective calls for integration of different levels of behaviors. Complex interactions exist among stakeholders, the environment and available technology and agents is the best paradigm to mimic these behaviors. The presence of continuous and discrete behaviors coupled with stochastic and deterministic behaviors present challenges for using standalone simulation tools to simulate the business model. This research takes into account dynamic system complexity and risk. By combining system dynamics at the strategy level with agentbased models of consumer behaviors, and neural networks to find historical relationships, a representation of the business model that makes for sound basis of decision making can be achieved. The case study is based on a peer-to-peer lending environment

Test-Beds Using The High-Level Architecture And Other Distributed-Simulation Frameworks

Distributed environments composed of Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) simulations have been used extensively by the defense establishment for many years. They can be also used for analytical use and provide more hybrid, high-fidelity, and visualization capabilities than simpler software package-based simulations (e.g., Arena). This paper discusses our efforts to design an environment being developed to model space missions and LVC for warfighter scenarios. Several models representing different phases of missions and engineered systems could be used to abstract complex systems. These models can be built using different simulation paradigms. New tools such as VR-Forces can be utilized to support these environments. A very important feature is the utilization and support of the High Level Architecture (HLA) that provide capabilities to build Virtual Test Bed (VTB). This paper presents our on-going work

Analysis Of The Expansion Of The Panama Canal Using Simulation Modeling And Artificial Intelligence

This paper presents preliminary analysis of the Panama Canal Expansion from the viewpoint of salinity in the Gatun Lake and the utilization of neural networks. This analysis utilized simulation modeling and artificial intelligence. We have built several discrete and system dynamics simulation models of the current Panama Canal operations and the future expansion which have been validated with historical and projected data and Turing/expert validation by engineers of the Panama Canal Authority. The simulation models have been exercised in order to generate enough information about the future expansion. This information has been used to develop neural networks that have the capability to indicate the volume of the Gatun Lake and its respective salinity taking into consideration lockages, spillovers, hydropower generation, fresh water supply volumes, and environmental factors such as precipitation, tides, and evaporation. Support vector machines were used to build time series regression models of the evaporation of Gatun Lake

Using Assessment Point Accumulation As A Guide To Identify Students At Risk For Interrupted Academic Progress

Problem Interruptions in academic progress (IP) are problematic for students and educational programs alike. Early identification of students at risk for IP, to provide remediation, could be beneficial. Approach Considering the clinically familiar pediatric growth curve as a metaphor, researchers hypothesized they could identify students at risk of IP. They organized course-related examination performance data for 518 students in five classes (2013-2014 through 2017-2018), adding students\u27 percentage scores cumulatively over time. At every examination point, they analyzed the data for distribution and calculated a mean class score. They plotted each student\u27s accumulated points and accommodated a linear fit. Using the mean of the class as the horizontal axis, students gaining points against the mean show a positive slope; conversely, students losing points reveal a negative slope. The authors compared their findings against students who had faced IP-those who had repeated at least one course or an academic year, or who had left medical school. Outcomes Using a receiver operating characteristic approach, the authors identified a slope of -5 as an excellent screening test with 85% accuracy (sensitivity = 82%, specificity = 86%, area under curve = 0.917). Of 38 students facing IP, 25 would have been identified at risk for IP as early as the fifth assessment using a slope of -5. Next Steps Given the outcomes of this innovative, inexpensive, highly accurate approach to identifying students at risk of IP, the authors have plans to optimize interventions and to validate the approach at other programs

Simulation Modeling of Space Missions using the High-Level Architecture

This paper discusses an environment being developed to model a mission of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) being launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to the International Space Station (ISS). Several models representing different phases of the mission such as the ground operations processes, engineered systems, and range components such as failure tree, blast, gas dispersion, and debris modeling are explained. These models are built using different simulation paradigms such as continuous, system dynamic s, discrete-event, and agent-based simulation modeling. The High Level Architecture (HLA) is the backbone of this distributed simulation. The different design decisions and the information fusion scheme of this unique environment are explained in detail for decision-ma king. This can also help in the development of exploration missions beyond the International Space Station