Running a Simulation

Running Your First Simulation

Running a simulation generates a virtual event log based on your process model and configured parameters.

Prerequisites

• A process model (BPMN diagram) in ProcessMind — start a free trial if you do not have a workspace yet
• Optional: configured simulation parameters (defaults are provided)

Step 1: Access the Simulation Tab

Navigate to your process model and open the Simulation page for it (the Simulation entry in the left icon bar).

Step 2: Create or Select a Simulation

You can create multiple simulation configurations for the same model.

1. Select an existing simulation from the Simulations sidebar list, or click Create Simulation to start a new one.
2. Give your simulation a descriptive name (for example, “Baseline”, “Peak Season”)

Step 3: Configure Periods

Setting	Description
Simulation Period	The start and end dates for your simulation
Warm-up period	If enabled, the simulation runs for an additional period before the start date to reach steady state

Using Auto Configure

Instead of manually configuring all settings, you can use the Auto Configure button to automatically populate simulation parameters:

1. Click the Auto Configure button in the page header
2. Choose a configuration mode:
   • AI-Suggested: Uses AI to generate realistic parameters based on your process model
   • Observed from Data: Derives parameters from your actual process data (requires data mapped to the model)
3. Review and adjust the generated settings as needed

Step 4: Configure Attributes

Define custom attributes that cases carry through the simulation.

Number Attributes

Use distributions to generate numeric values. See Distributions.

Text Attributes

Choose a generation mode:

Mode	Description
List	Weighted random selection from predefined values
Numbered	Sequential IDs with prefix (e.g., “Order 1”, “Order 2”)
Fictional Names	Generated person names
Fictional Companies	Generated company names
Countries	Country names

Step 5: Configure Resources

Define shared resources that constrain activity execution. See Resources for details.

Step 6: Configure Start Events

Click a Start Event to configure case arrivals:

Setting	Description
Distribution	How arrivals vary (typically Poisson)
Rate	Average arrivals per time period
Rate Unit	Per hour, day, week, month, or year
Periodicity	Time-based variations

Default: Poisson distribution with 1 case per hour.

Step 7: Configure Tasks and Events

Click any Task or Event (intermediate/end events) to configure:

Processing Time (Tasks only)

Setting	Description
Distribution	How duration varies
Time Unit	Seconds, minutes, hours, or days
Periodicity	Time-based variations

Required Resources (Tasks only)

Setting	Description
Resource	Which resource pool to use
Quantity	How many units needed

Skip Chance

Probability (0-100%) that the element is bypassed entirely. When skipped, no resources are consumed and no time passes.

Attribute Changes

Modify case attributes when the element completes.

Step 8: Configure Sequence Flows

For gateways with multiple outgoing paths, configure the probability of each path:

Gateway Type	Behavior
XOR (Exclusive)	One path selected based on probability weights
AND (Parallel)	All paths taken simultaneously
OR (Inclusive)	Random selection, at least one path guaranteed

Step 9: Run the Simulation

1. Click the Run Simulation button at the top of the simulation panel
2. Wait for the simulation to finish (progress is displayed)

The simulation stops when reaching the end date or 5,000,000 events (whichever comes first). See the Simulation Interface Reference for the full list of simulation limits.

View Results

When complete, ProcessMind creates a new dataset containing the simulated event log. Analyze it using all standard ProcessMind features:

• Process Map
• Statistics
• Dashboards
• Filters

Worked Example: Baseline → What-If

1. Create a baseline simulation named “Baseline” for your model and click Run Simulation. ProcessMind creates a new dataset with the simulated event log (for example, 12,400 cases over a month).
2. Review the results in the process map and dashboards: note the current throughput time (for example, 2.1 days) and where cases wait the longest.
3. Duplicate the configuration into a second simulation named “What-If: Extra Resource” and add a second unit to the bottleneck resource (see Resources).
4. Run the what-if simulation and compare the new dataset with the baseline (see Comparing Data). If throughput drops from 2.1 to 1.6 days, you have quantified the benefit of the extra resource before making any real change.

For more on comparing scenarios, see What-If Analysis.

Next Steps