On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Dr. Lars Maaseidvaag joins the show to talk about one of his areas of expertise, process modeling and discrete event simulation. Lars has worked in continuous improvement for over 30 years. He's also from Ann Arbor, Michigan, which creates some good natured tension when he talks to Ohio State graduate (and your host) Dan Swartwout. In easy-to-understand terms, Lars explains discrete event simulation and why it matters. For example, he tells us about helping a large hospital during the pandemic. The hospital had a thousand people backed up in the parking lot trying to get screened. Lars and his team quickly built a simulation model to address the situation. As a result, they found solutions that saved the hospital thousands of dollars per day, with no new equipment required. Most Lean Six Sigma tools handle stable processes just fine. But what happens when you've got fluctuating demand and everything depends on everything else? Lars walks us through how simulation helps with these messy situations. He also talks about MoreSteam's own Process Playground, which lets you run simulations without learning to code or buying expensive software. Lars and Dan bond over bratwurst and argue about the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry. They also discuss George Box's line that all models are wrong but some are useful. As this episode shows, some podcasts are useful, too.   In this episode, you will hear about: 1:16 - Meet Lars 5:20 - What is discrete event simulation? 8:02 - The process at a coffee shop 11:58 - How process modeling helped reduce wait times at a hospital 15:39 - How simulation reveals solutions that other Lean tools might miss 20:10 - Interdependencies and interactions in simulation modeling 23:04 - Examples of interdependencies in blackjack 25:15 - Using Process Playground in EngineRoom 28:45 - The building blocks analogy 32:27 - Pitfalls to avoid: analysis paralysis 36:22 - Process modeling and roller coasters 42:09 - All models are wrong, some are useful   Additional Resources: Lars Maaseidvaag on LinkedIn The Impact of Process Modeling: Reducing Queue Times for COVID Testing MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn QTWM Episode 31: Solving Healthcare Bottlenecks with Process Modeling MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn    Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

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