Proceedings of the 35th conference on Winter simulation: driving innovation

Abstract

The 2003 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC) continues a thirty-six year tradition as the premier event in discrete-event and combined discrete-continuous simulation. The conference theme, Driving Innovation, invites you to push the boundaries and find new trails to where simulation technology will lead in the future. Simulation enables companies to be more innovative. It allows us to focus energy and resources on the alternatives that work best and have the best value proposition. This allows us to spend our financial and political capital on the things that matter most: Focused innovation on valued outcomes. Advances in high performance computing, clever algorithms, and the availability of real-time information are forever transforming every aspect of our business and personal lives in exciting and unprecedented ways. The coupling and integration of computer-based simulation from multiple disciplines offers novel opportunities for major advances and discoveries at all scales. On the molecular scale, simulation helps researchers to understand protein folding and nanotechnology holds promise for breakthroughs in new material design. Simulation-based modeling and computing are playing a role in creating advanced engines for military aircraft and special effects for the entertainment industry through movies and games. On the grand scale, simulation is used to develop environmental ecosystems and to investigate planetary systems and galaxies. WSC '03 has a high quality program of 264 papers organized into 16 tracks. Nine tracks and seven minitracks spotlight simulation applications in areas as diverse as: military; manufacturing; logistics, transportation, and distribution; supply chain management; semiconductor manufacturing; business process improvement; construction engineering and project management; simulation education; and health-care applications. For the second year in a row the conference features a full track in risk analysis and a mini-track devoted to simulation-based scheduling. The risk analysis track includes sessions on cutting edge developments in simulation applied to risk and insurance, financial engineering, and collateralized debt and real options. The future of simulation mini-track offers exciting topics such as simulation standards, return on investment for simulation, and simulation technology. Recent research in modeling and analysis is described in three methodology tracks. An additional three tutorial tracks present the fundamentals of simulation, provide an in-depth exploration of advanced simulation methodologies, and demonstrate the capabilities and new features of simulation software. The Proceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference is published in both hardcopy and CD-ROM formats, a practice that started in 1997. The Winter Simulation Conference is a nonprofit event, organized by eight sponsoring organizations. We are very grateful for the support provided by the American Statistical Association, Association for Computing Machinery/ Special Interest Group on Simulation, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Computer Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society, Institute of Industrial Engineers, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences--College on Simulation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and The Society for Modeling and Simulation International. A conference of this size and scope requires the work of many dedicated volunteers whose efforts span several years of planning and preparation. It all starts about five years before each conference, when the WSC Board of Directors appoints the General Chair and Program Chair. The General Chair, David Ferrin, selected the site and the conference committee, and then directed the committee's activities in the years leading up to the conference. Each member of the committee has done an exemplary job in organizing, publicizing, and running a successful conference. It has been an incredible honor and pleasure to work with such an extraordinary group of talented, dedicated individuals. The Program Chair, Douglas Morrice, handled the Call for Papers and developed a truly outstanding program that provides a theme and direction for the conference as a whole. Stephen Chick and Paul Sanchez, the Proceedings Co-Editors, had their hands full reviewing papers and working with authors to produce a high-quality final version. Many thanks to Ann Dunkin, the Business Chair, who created and tracked the budget and cash flow to allow us to wisely manage every dollar. Tom Jefferson, the Exhibits Chair, arranged for a full complement of vendor exhibits to provide WSC attendees with the maximum exposure to the latest products and trends. The Publicity Chair, Joe Hugan, not only proactively continued our efforts to bring the word of WSC to more people in more areas using every technology possible, he contributed many creative ideas to give the Preliminary Program a new and improved format. David Graehl, the Publications Chair, handled the numerous publications that make the conference complete. The Corporate Sponsorship Chair, Milind Datar and his committee members developed innovative ways to reach both industrial and academic organizations to improve WSC while providing opportunities for visibility. Korinn Ferrin took the reins as Guest Program Chair to gather and distribute information on the many sights and activities in New Orleans. The entire committee took the concepts of electronic format to new heights beginning with innovative approaches for the Call for Papers and continuing throughout the conference planning process.

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