Disaster Arrivals Weekly

To create arrivals according to a pattern when given only weekly summary information.

What you have, and what you need

This model object takes actual weekly arrivals summaries for past events and creates patterns of arrivals by day of week and hour of day. The object allows Arrivals to be processed for several divisions, center or departments in the same stream of arrivals separated by an attribute. Entity names and graphics are changed by using an attribute.

The user has control of how arrivals are distributed across the week by a simple spreadsheet interface. The user can define what pattern is used to spread entities across the hours of the day. These are predefined patterns AND can be changed by the user. A simple multiplying factor allows the user to copy data from past disasters and modify the amplitude to prepare for larger or smaller events.

This model object can be used multiple times in the same model by saving the Excel file as a new name, and then linking a separate object to that new file. This means different disasters can have completely different patterns of arrivals.

Where to Find the Model Object

The Model Object is available at the following location within Model Objects:

• Arrivals \ Disaster Arrivals Weekly.

Difficulty Level

• Ease of Use: Moderate
• Ease of Modification: Moderate

How to Use the Model Object

1. Open Your Model
2. Insert the Model Object in Your Model: Locate the appropriate location where you would like to place the model object, move the view to the location and then insert the model object.
3. Use the Black Box as the Arrival: This means, when entities leave the black box, it is as if they are entering the model for the first time. Connect from the Black Box to the remainder of your model. The entity can be changed to any entity you choose. When changing the entity, don’t delete the arrival.
4. Right click the Excel icon and click the third option from the bottom to open the Excel file

   Click Enable Content if prompted

   

5. Enter the Day of Week Percents: Enter the Day of Week percents. Arrivals may occur on one to seven days per week. The sum of all daily percentages must equal 100.
6. Enter the Start Time: This will be the time each day when arrivals begin entering the model.
7. Enter the Entity Name: Add the name of the entity connected to the target scheduled arrival. Make sure that the entity has a Scheduled arrival type and you have added at least one scheduled arrival.
8. Select the Hour of Day: The logic created from this section distributes the entities over the hours of the day. The hour of day provides you with 4 options;
   1. More in The Morning: This option will make sure that most of the entities arrive in the morning time with some during the later parts of the day.
   2. More in The Afternoon:This option will make sure that most of the entities arrive during the afternoon time with some during the morning.
   3. Specific Mail Drops: If you would like to provide certain times with percentages of entities to drop at those times select this option. Selecting this option will enable the Time/Percent column, enter the times and percentages as required. Make sure that the percentage equals 100.
   4. Radom: Choosing this option would randomize entity arrivals during the day.
9. Add the Scheduled Arrivals Along with Attributes:
   1. The Week and the Qty fields must be filled for each of the arrival. Optional attribute values can be added for each week. Attributes could be used to define “center” designation, type of action required, any other requirement. If an arrival does not require a specific value for the attribute you may leave the cell empty.
      
   2. Change the Magnitude of Disaster Arrivals: To change the magnitude of disaster arrivals, you can take a known event and then change the amplitude of arrivals received at certain centers. To increase or decrease the quantity of certain arrivals, copy value of the attribute found in column D, and add it to column L. The % change can positive or negative, a 5 for example will increase the quantity by 5% where as a -5 will decrease the quantity by 5%. Now when you change the percent value in column M, all the arrivals with the same attribute value in column D will be modified on import.

      You only need to enter the descriptors for which you need to change the arrival quantity. For example, if I have 11 centers, but only need change the amplitude of center AA, then only add AA to column L. You are allowed to add up to 14 descriptors whose arrival quantities can be changed.

10. Import Data from the Spreadsheet to ProcessModel: Before clicking the Send to ProcessModel button you may select one of the following 3 options in order instruct ProcessModel what it needs to do.
    1. Import Data: Selecting this option will import the data into ProcessModel after crunching the numbers and updating the exported Data file from ProcessModel. The Excel file will automatically export data from your model.
    2. Simulate Model: Selecting this option will simulate the model after completing all the actions mentioned in Import Data. Simulation animation will be off.
    3. Animation On: Selecting this option will simulate the model with animation on after completing all the actions mentioned in Import Data.

Verifying Import

After clicking the Send to ProcessModel button wait for a few seconds until you receive a relevant prompt via Excel or are moved to ProcessModel for model simulation. Once you are back in ProcessModel, you can look at the following location to make sure that the import was successful:

1. Click on the arrival route and from the Properties Dialog click Define Schedule, open the Action Logic and review the import values.
   
2. Review the action logic within the black box.

   

Advance Topics

Change the Graphic and Entity Name for Different “Centers.”

Entities from different “Centers, divisions, or departments” could enter using the same scheduled arrival. Change the entity name and graphic to reflect to the values set in one of the attributes.

If a_Center has values of Cntr1, Cntr2,  and Cntr3, AND entities are defined for the different centers (Center1, Center2, and Center3) THEN use the logic that follows to change the graphic and collect statistics under the specific entity name.

IF a_Center = Cntr1 THEN
{
NEWNAME(Center1)
}
ELSE IF a_Center = Cntr2 THEN
{
NEWNAME(Center2)
}
ELSE IF a_Center = Cntr3 THEN
{
NEWNAME(Center3)
}
ELSE
{
DISPLAY “Error defining entity name. Please check attribute names and entity names used in the to change the entity graphic and new_name.”
}

How to Use This for Two or More Arrivals?

The model can be used for two or more arrivals by simply creating a copy of the Excel file and changing the name of the entity to the name of the second arrival entity (step 6 above).

Once you have added the Disaster Arrivals Weekly model object to your model and saved it, you can follow the steps below to have this model object work for two arrivals:

1. Open your model that has the Disaster Arrivals Weekly saved with it.
2. Open the Excel file.
3. Click File \ Save As to save the file with a different name. Make sure you keep the test Disaster Arrivals Weekly vx–x in the new name to make sure there is a way to know the version number of the file. This will be helpful if there is ever a need to debug an issue.
4. Close the Excel file and return to the model.
5. Right click on the Excel icon in your model and click Link Document.
6. On e the new window that appears, click Add File, brose to the new file created in step 3 and add it. Click OK.
7. Save you model to save the second Excel file as a package in the .SPG with the other Excel file. You should now be able to access and use the second Excel File using the same procedure as described under Model Object.