Phase 3. Adding Tellers

Now we will create another part of the system by adding tellers that are working at the bank. Now some clients will come to see tellers, some – to access the ATM. We can model tellers using delays in the same way as we modeled ATM. However, modeling tellers using resources is much more convenient. Resource is a special unit that can be possessed by an agent. Only one agent can possess a resource at a time; therefore agents compete for resources.

Modifying the flowchart

Simulate service

1. Open the Process Modeling Library in the Palette view and drag the Service block onto our Main diagram.
   

   

   Service seizes resource units for the agent, delays the agent, and releases the seized units.
2. Go to the Properties view of the service block.
3. Modify the object properties:
• There is one queue for all tellers. Set up Queue capacity to be of 20 places.
• We assume that service time is triangularly distributed with the min value of 2.5, average value of 6, and the max value of 11 minutes. Set Delay time: triangular(2.5, 6, 11 )
  

  

Simulate decision making

1. Move the objects queue, ATM and sink to the right to make space for one new object between source and queue.
   

   

2. Open the Process Modeling Library in the Palette view and add the SelectOutput block in the resulting space. When you place the block on the connector, it will automatically get built in.
   

   
   

   SelectOutput is a decision making block. The agent arrived at the block is forwarded along one of two output ports depending on the user-defined condition.
3. Select selectOutput in the flowchart and go to its Properties view. Choose the option If condition is true for the Select True Output parameter. Make sure that Condition is randomTrue(0.5 ).
   This agent routing condition defines that the number of customers competing for ATM and teller service will be approximately equal.
   
4. Connect selectOutput and service with other blocks as shown in the figure:
   

   
   

Add resources for the service

1. Open the Process Modeling Library in the Palette view and drag the ResourcePool block onto our Main diagram. ResourcePool block is storage for resource units.
2. Place it under service and go to its Properties view.
3. Name the block tellers.
   

   

4. Specify that this resource object has only four resource units, that means, define its Capacity: 4.
   

   

5. ResourcePool block should be connected to resource seizing and releasing objects (Service in our case). So we need to modify the properties of the service block.
6. Select service in the flowchart to open its properties. Choose the option units of the same pool the parameter Seize. Then specify the resource pool we have created in the option Resource pool. You can either click the down arrow to select the resource pool object from the drop-down list, or you can click the button, located on the right, to select the object in the graphical editor (all inappropriate objects will be greyed out).
   

   
   

7. Now since the model has changed, we need to alter the model animation as well.

Adding space markup shapes

Now we want to draw the area for queuing and a place to get serviced for our clients.

Set up space markup for the queue to tellers

1. This time we will draw a waiting area using a rectangular node. First, open the Space Markup palette in the Palette view.
2. Double-click the element Rectangular node to switch to the drawing mode.
3. Click in the graphical editor and drag the rectangle without releasing the mouse button. Release when you have a rectangular node of the required form. You can edit its form later as you need.
4. Name the node waitingArea.
5. Switch the Visible control to no. This way the markup shape will be invisible during animation at model runtime.
   

   
   

6. Click the service block in the flowchart and go to its Properties view.
7. Select the node waitingArea we have drawn in the Agent location (queue) option.
   

   
   

Set up space markup for the customers

1. The customers need a place to stand somewhere while they are getting serviced by tellers. We will draw an area for this purpose using a rectangular node.
2. First, open the Space Markup palette in the Palette view, then double-click the element Rectangular node to switch to the drawing mode.
3. Click in the graphical editor and drag the rectangle without releasing the mouse button. Release when you have a rectangular node of the required form. You can edit its form later as you need.
4. Name the node customerPlaces.
5. Switch the Visible control to no.
   

   
   

6. We will use attractors to define the customers that are getting service. Select the node customerPlaces and click the button Attractors... in its properties. In the Attractors window that will pop-up, specify 4 for the creation mode Number of attractors and click OK. You will see that attractors appeared in the customerPlaces node with the even offset.
   

   
   

7. Now we need to refer to this area in the flowchart. Click the service block in the flowchart and go to its Properties view.
8. Select the node customerPlaces you have drawn in the Agent location (delay) option.
   

   
   

Set up space markup for the tellers

1. In the previous step, we used a point node to draw the ATM. Since we have 4 tellers this time, we will use a rectangular node to draw this service area.
2. First, open the Space Markup palette in the Palette view, then double-click the element Rectangular node to switch to the drawing mode.
3. Click in the graphical editor and drag the rectangle without releasing the mouse button. Release when you have a rectangular node of the required form. You can edit its form later as you need.
4. Name the node tellerPlaces.
5. Set the Visible property to no.
   

   
   

6. We will use attractors to define the tellers. Select tellerPlaces and click the button Attractors... in its properties. In the Attractors window that will pop-up, specify 4 for the creation mode Number of attractors and click OK.
7. You will see that attractors appeared in the tellerPlaces node with the even offset, but they are facing wrong direction. Select all attractors by Shift clicking and go to their properties. In the section Position and size, change the Orientation parameter to 180.0.
   

   
   

8. Click the tellers object in the flowchart and go to its Properties view.
9. Select the node tellerPlaces we have drawn in the Home location (nodes) parameter by clicking .
   

   
   

Adding 3D objects

It is time to add teller 3D objects to our model. We will create a new resource type to animate tellers.

Create a new resource type

1. Open the Process Modeling Library palette.
2. Drag the element Resource Type into the graphical editor.
   

   

3. The New agent wizard will open on the Creating new agent step. Enter Teller as the Agent type name and leave the Create the agent type "from scratch" selected. Press Next.
   

   

4. In the next step select 3D as the animation type and select Office worker from the list of the 3D figures.

   

5. Click Finish. The new Teller diagram will open. You can find the Office worker 3D figure in the axis origin. Switch back to Main diagram.

Configure flowchart to use the new resource type

1. On the Main diagram, select the block tellers in the graphical editor.
2. In its properties, specify Teller as the New resource unit.
   

   

3. Run the model and observe customers and tellers.

Add tables for the tellers

1. Open the 3D Objects palette.
2. Drag four Table 3D figures from the Office section of this palette onto the node shape called tellerPlaces in the graphical editor.
3. Place them at the attractors since attractors are the places where the tellers stand.
   

   

4. You can see that their orientation is wrong. Select all tables by Shift-clicking and go to the Properties view.
5. In the section Position, change the parameter Rotation to -90.0 degrees.
6. If necessary, rearrange all eight attractors and four tables so that they are reasonably lined up.
   

   

Now you can run the model and observe in 3D how some customers go to the ATM and other get service at the tellers tables.

Phase 2, Creating model animation