QUALITY ASSURANCE OF MODELS AND SIMULATION APPLICATIONS
Zhongshi Wang, Axel Lehmann · Advances in Complex Systems · 2010
As a consequence of the permanently increasing complexity of modeling and simulation (M&S) applications, the demand for controlling and demonstrating the quality of a model and its applications by introducing adequate quality measures, techniques, and tools is obvious. Since efforts toward quality assurance such as model documentation and verification and validation (V&V) are time consuming and costly, a reasonable balance between quality and efficiency should be achieved in all practical applications. In the context of an integrated quality assurance strategy, several quality- and efficiency-related concepts have been developed and combined, including a model documentation guideline, a generalized V&V concept (the V&V Triangle), a graph-based V&V, and a multistage tailoring process. This article describes the proposed concepts and their applications in two selected simulation development projects. While the primary objective of the first project was introduction and application of the documentation guideline and the tailoring concept; the second project focused more on applying the V&V Triangle and the graph-based V&V. Based on the findings achieved by the case studies, some relevant lessons learned are summarized, which serve as expertise for both theoretical concept refinement and practical applications.