MAREA – From an Agent Simulation Application to the Social Network Analysis

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to present an enhanced software simulation application based on a trading company control loop and to validate agents’ behavior from simulation experiments using simple Petri net, and social network analysis. The main purpose of the application is to improve existing decision support systems with the use of a simulation. The ERP system using the REA ontology approach is used as a measuring element in the application. The system has been developed in cooperation between Silesian University in Opava, School of Business Administration in Karvina, Czech Republic and REA technology Copenhagen, Denmark. After the prototype tests at the end of the year 2011, we presented it at the beginning of 2012 for the very first time. Firstly, the enhanced framework with several types of agents and negotiation possibilities is described. This is followed by the decision function explanation, which is the core of the price negotiation. Secondly, a brief look on the graphical user interface and main parts of MAREA simulation monitor is provided. Brief results of the model validation performed by means of ProM software are presented. To conclude, MAREA is a software application with simulation possibilities, which can be used to present trading behavior of a company for decision support.