A facilitation workshop for the implementation stage: A case study in health care

Research on facilitation in discrete event simulation (DES) is gathering pace but there is still a need to put forward real examples to explain the process to newcomers. Most of the research has focussed on facilitation in the initial stages of the simulation modelling process. In this paper we focus on one of the postmodel coding stages. More specifically we focus on the implementation stage, the final stage in the modelling process. The primary contributions of this paper are the description of the process followed and the introduction of tools that can be used during this stage to support workshop activities. A real case study is provided describing the sequence of the interactions undertaken in the workshop. Extracts from the transcripts are also included, with the view to bringing evidence of the stakeholders’ involvement and their mood during the workshop. The paper concludes with a discussion on the process followed and the importance of using tools in this stage.