Using the structred analysis and design technique (SADT) in simulation conceptual modeling

Conceptual Modeling (CM) has gained a lot of interest in the recent years and it is widely agreed that CM is the most important phase of simulation study. Despite its significance, there are very few techniques that can help to develop well-structured and concise conceptual models. This paper proposes the use of the Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT) from software engineering to develop conceptual models. SADT has proven to be successful in the development of software systems, specifically in the requirements gathering phase. This paper contributes to the area of CM by proposing a new framework for developing conceptual models which focuses mainly on the first phase of CM, that of System Description (SD). A simple case, the Panorama Televisions production plant, is used to illustrate the application of this approach. The benefits and limitations of this framework are discussed.