A Framework for Optimizing Simulation Model Validation & Verification

Abstract

Thirty years of research on validation and verification have returned a plethora of methods and statistical techniques through methodological and case studies. It is, however, this abundance of methods and techniques that poses a major challenge. Due to time and budget constraints, it is impossible to apply all the available methods and techniques in a single study, and as such a careful selection has to be made. This paper builds on two assumptions: a) simulations, real-world systems, methods, and techniques can be defined on the basis of different characteristics and b) certain methods and techniques are more suitable than others for different kinds of simulation studies. The present study aims at identifying the specific characteristics that make certain methods and techniques more effective and more efficient than others, when juxtaposing these with the simulations' and systems' different characteristics. The conclusion will advance a methodology for choosing the most appropriate methods and techniques for validating and/or verifying a simulation.