Estimating the implementation time for discrete-event simulation model building

Abstract

There are several techniques for estimating cost and time for software development. These are known in software engineering as “software metrics.” LOC (lines of code), COCOMO (COnstructive COst Model), and FPA (Function Point Analysis) are examples of such techniques. Although Discrete Event Simulation Modeling (DESM) has some differences from classical software development, it is possible to draw a parallel between these techniques and DESM. This article reviews some of the metrics from software engineering, and, based on those, proposes a metric for estimating time for the implementation of a simulation model using one specific simulation software. The results obtained for 22 real simulation projects showed that the proposed technique can estimate the time for software development with acceptable accuracy (average error of 6% and maximum absolute error of 38%) for models that have less that 200 simulation objects.