ProcessModel Version 5.5 Released

We’re Having a Process Improvement Party and You’re Invited

Update: This is no longer the latest version of ProcessModel, see the changelog for information on the latest software.

We are excited because Process Simulation, Process Analysis and Process Improvement just became easier with the release of ProcessModel version 5.5. Changes to the product streamline the way Process Improvement is accomplished. Faster, easier capture of as-is processes means existing system can simulated and tested in record time. Because the process modeling is easier, more people can take advantage of process simulation. We think this is a reason to celebrate.

Industry Specific Installs

See more of what is important to you and less of everything else. Industry specific installs provide example models, model objects and icon palettes that are specific to your industry. If your industry is Healthcare, then you will see model segments for hospital arrivals, triage, treatment, fast track, admitting, discharge, etc. You will see icons that help you quickly make your point with management. You will see actual models with explanations. What you won’t see is conveyors, manufacturing icons or container trucks. If your industry is Manufacturing, then you don’t have to filter through doctors, nurses and icons of urine samples. Well, you get the point.

Automatic Licensing

No more changing serial numbers or waiting to get a license. You can get a license anytime of the day or night in about 20 seconds. All you have to do is enter your email address and ProcessModel will automatically license. Transfers of licenses can be completed in a snap. Once you have supplied the proper information you can license or transfer a license whenever you want. We thought automatic licensing would be a great process improvement for you. And yes, you can still license manually if needed.

Process Simulation File Management

You no longer have to save packages to move or store your model. ProcessModel uses a single common file format to speed model development and protect your process improvement data. All files will work with version 5.3 and older files can be loaded into version 5.5. Backups are automatically captured and there is a quick method to recover backups. Read more…

Process Simulation Templates Read in Data

Have you ever wanted to build an interface for ProcessModel? How about wanting to populate a model from an outside file? You could build a complete interface in Excel or read in thousands of arrivals in just seconds. It is all possible with version 5.5 and easy FDI templates. Read more…

Model Objects at Your Fingertips

Have you ever run into a problem that was difficult to model? Have you ever wished you had a personal tutor for ProcessModel or could take advantage of a great moder’s skill? Well, now you can and now you do. Sections of models, specifically designed for your industry, have been captured in what we call model objects. These are pieces of models are that can be put together, similar to building blocks, but for process simulation. Model objects will save you a ton of time, increase the quality of your model and allow you model way above your skill level. These model objects can be accessed from the tool bar. Read more…

New Model Objects for Process Improvement

When you download a new model object it is just like getting a new feature in ProcessModel. You just don’t have to call IT to update your software. Model objects allow you to model the “really difficult stuff.” For example, one model object takes date and time stamps from historical records and turn them into the code to represent arrivals… a process that would take me about 4 hours of analysis. Another model object creates the flow and logic to model any size job shop. There are many other powerful model objects. Read more…

Automatic Updates for Model Objects

If New Model Objects have been released and you select “Check for Updates” your current model objects will be reviewed. If a newer version of an existing model object is available, or if a completely new one has been created, you will be notified of the availability. When you download new model objects, new categories will automatically add. These categories make it easier to find ready-to-use segments of models.

New Toolbar for Speedy Access

The number of mouse-clicks required has been reduced to one when a simulation is started and model objects are all at your fingertips. Read more…

Graph Formatting Saved When the Model Name Changes

Now you can change the name of the model and not worry about loosing the graph and chart formatting. Read more…

Model Narration

Now you can give a model to a complete stranger and still get your point across. Models can be narrated with pictures, voice recording or even a video. You could include a presentation with complete instructions on how to use your model. Read more…

New Palettes

Scores of new icons are included for manufacturing, service, healthcare, logistics and military applications. Icons help you to make your points faster and with greater comprehension

Error Management

You have probably observed “there many ways to develop a process simulation.” All these possible combinations can lead to some extraordinary errors. We identified the highest probability errors and develop helps to solve the problem so you can create your process simulation in record time. Read more…

Well, that is just some of the 200 changes to ProcessModel. There has been a huge effort in developing and testing version 5.5. We hope you like it. Come celebrate with us and we will help make your process improvement projects an enormous success.

New Features & Fixes Detailed

New Features

• Model Objects at Your Fingertips – Model objects (MO) reduce the time to perform a process improvement project and increase simulation project quality. Think of MO as building blocks for your process improvement project. MO are pre-built segments of models that snap together and solve difficult simulation
  modeling problems. MO are now easier to find with advanced searching capabilities on the main toolbar.You will be notified when MO are out of date or new ones are available. You choose when to download new MO.
• Paste Model Objects at the Point of the Cursor – Model objects are now integrated exactly where you put the cursor. No more guessing or centering the layout to insert a model object. Simply point and click.
• Automatic Updates – ProcessModel will tell you when your software is out of date. Automatic update will provide you with the latest and greatest software.
• Industry Specific Install – See more of what is important to you and less of everything else. Industry specific installs provide example models, model objects and palettes that are specific to your industry.
• Output Graphs Save with New Model Name – When the model name is changed, graphs and charts associated with the previous name are saved along with the new name.
• File Saving and Installation – ProcessModel saves all models as a simulation package (.SPG which stands for “simulation package”). All the files necessary to make a model run and all other attached files are automatically included in this package. Now, the file that you save is the file that is sent to another person. On open, the package rewrites linking paths so that your model runs and links to all attached files.
• Backups and General Management – Automatic backups save the last three versions of your model. Each time a new backup is saved a number that is added to the end of the model name is incremented. If some unforeseen problem occurs you will have backups at the frequency that you set.
• Package Dialog Only Shows When a File is Missing – In the past, when a simulation package was created, a package dialog would appear showing all the files included in the package. Now, the dialog will only show when a file is missing (was deleted, moved or renamed). This allows faster, seamless saving of models.
• Error Management – More than 100 non-descript errors have been eliminated or provide details to help you solve the problem.
• Better Identification of the Location of SubModel Errors – When submodel route names have not been entered, or are mismatched, ProcessModel will highlight which routing exhibits the problem. This helps to pinpoint the problem faster.
• A Simulation Error Occurred – In the past, combinations of unusual elements would cause a general error “A Simulation Error Has Occurred”. These problems have been eliminated, showing detailed messages of what caused the problem. This allows quick, precise changes to solve the problem.
• Simulation Already running – Have you ever attempted to run the simulation and received the error “Simulation already running”? You can’t see an animation but the process simulation won’t start even on repeated tries. That is so annoying. In version 5.5, every time the ProcessModel starts all executables are refreshed so that ProcessModel will start correctly, without errors, every time.
• Hierarchical Models – In the past, creating a package when a submodel was open would cause unrecoverable errors in the model. In version 5.5, ProcessModel asks to save all submodels and closes submodels so that the save can be error free and automatic.
• New Tool Bars – The new toolbar provides faster access to the things you need. The simulation button provides a quick launch of the animation. The Narrate button allows you to attached a video, audio or pictures to explain a model. The Import and Run button reads in the current import file and starts the model with
  new information. The model objects menu item provides quick access to all model objects and a way to download newly created model objects.
  
• Attaching Files – Linking files to a model provides a method of adding interfaces, attaching raw data, linking presentations or any other type of file. Files are now easier to link and automatically install and relink when the model is saved to a new directory. This makes sending an interface with a model a snap.
• Excel Interface for Complex Model Changes – A basic interface can be developed in about three minutes. That means you can take several factors needing adjustment, link them to ProcessModel and show it working in less than three minutes! We provide the Excel file and the strategy for making changes to all parts of your model from a single Excel sheet.Using Excel as the entry form also has the advantage that you can make complex adjustments in the model using a simplified entry form. Below is an example of an entry form in Excel:
  
  The entry areas are clearly delineated by white and all other fields are locked. Error checking is easy, so complex changes can be made error free by someone unfamiliar with ProcessModel formatting.
• Excel Interface for Reading Arrivals – In addition to using Excel to make changes to all aspects of the model, it can also be used to read in thousands of actual arrivals (date, time, quantity, and attributes). This allows the reading of arrival and routing information. New entities with unique routings can be introduced without changing the model (only the arrivals have to change).
• New Model Objects – There are new model objects for almost every industry group. Some are very simple “tricks” used to model quickly and others might eliminate a weeks’ worth of work. Just identify what you need and paste a model object into your model for faster development and improved quality. New model objects are becoming available daily.
• New Palettes – Hundreds of new graphics have been added to help you make your point. Graphics for logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, military and more.
• Changes to ProcessModel Startup – A number of changes have been introduced to help new users get started. Models in your industry automatically open, layouts show the basics steps to build a model and tutorials show the entire process. Once you become familiar with ProcessModel, these helps can be disabled in the Tools/Preferences menu.
• Demo Model Automatically Opens – When ProcessModel starts, it will randomly pick a demo model from the industry selected during the install process. Models will have a basic explanation and may have a narration to help. “Automatic demo models on startup” can be disabled in the Tools/Preferences menu.
• Help Model for New Users – When all models are closed a layout appears that
  provides the basics of how to build and animate a model. The basics are narrated (The Narrate button is active) with a tutorial so that new users can quickly become familiar with beginner skills. The help model can be disabled in the Tools/Preferences menu.
• Narration Button Helps Explain What a new User is Observing – Now you can turn a “new” person loose with a process simulation. Process simulation narrations make it possible for you to send your best, practiced presentation along with a model. The target audience sees the information you want them to see which could include: instructions, assumptions, problems, results and solutions.Narrations are linked to the model, so when a model is saved a narration button becomes active on the toolbar. The next time the model is installed, the recipient will see there is an added active narration button. Narrations can be a video, audio or a static picture.
• Automatic Licensing – In the past, the licensing procedure required instructions from support, sending the serial number via email to support and waiting for the license code to be generated. If the license was not entered before the computer was restarted, the entire process may have to be restarted. In version 5.5, all you have to do is enter your email address and ProcessModel will automatically license (assuming you have a valid license and support). Of course, manual licensing is still supported.
• Updated User Guide with Extensive Hyperlinking – Many changes and updates have been added to the user’s guide to match the new capabilities added in ProcessModel. The new guide is completely hyperlinked for quick access.

Fixes

• Right mouse-click to copy a license – All licensing screens are updated and the serial and license can be copied with a standard Windows functions.
• Adding or Deleting Scenario Parameter to a Submodel – You always been able to add attributes or variable to a submodel and automatically sync with the main model. With version 5.5 scenario parameters can be added or deleted in a submodel.
• Moving Yes/No Text Attached to Routes – When adding a Yes/No, from a decision, with a right mouse-click the text is now detachable.
• Route Names No Longer Case Sensitive – The last remaining item in ProcessModel that exhibited case sensitivity has now been eliminated. You can use upper or lowercase in the routings names linking hierarchical models. This reduces errors from typing mistakes during the linking process.
• Resetting All Files When ProcessModel Starts – Every time ProcessModel starts, all files needed for ProcessModel, Simulation, SimRunner or Stat::Fit are re-started. This eliminates problems of failure to start because a file was inadvertently left open.
• Carriage Returns in Object Name Retained After Save – Sometimes you just want to change the position of text in a graphic by simply adding a carriage return to the name. Now those carriage returns are saved with the model.
• Installation – Simplified User Interaction – The installation file has been completely reformatted to simplify the user requirements for a standard installation. The installation is now smooth, fast and has no unnecessary questions.
• File Path Too Long “Warning” – If your model path exceeds 128 characters, ProcessModel will provide a detailed error message and suggest a solution.
• Using Scenario Parameters as Resource Quantities – You can now use scenario parameters as resource quantities without the annoying error message “insufficient resources”
• Flow80.exe Does Not Close when Exiting ProcessModel – Flow80 is the flowcharting engine used in ProcessModel. On closing ProcessModel, Flow80.exe will now exit and leave no trace.
• PMMain Does Not Close When ProcessModel Shuts Down Irregularly – Irrespective of the status of PMMain.exe, ProcessModel will reset PMMain and start and run as requested.
• Scenario Imports – Importing of scenario parameters has always worked, but sceanrio’s changed in the Excel sheet would cause some unusual problems during the import. The importing of scenarios now works flawlessly.
• Stuck in the Taskbar – Not any more!