Basing decisions on simulation data is good for business

Independent

2 days ago

COMSOL is a Business Reporter client
Simulation apps are changing the game in business management, putting the power of predictive modelling at decision-makers' fingertips.
Success in today's marketplace comes down to developing innovative products and processes that are reliable and launch at the right time. To accelerate development efforts in R&D, engineers turn to computer modelling and simulation.
The world is ruled by laws of physics and mathematical equations, so with the data generated from computational models, engineers can get accurate previews of real-world outcomes before committing to a project plan or design. It makes a lot of sense for R&D departments to lean on physics, chemistry and maths to make decisions, but managers and stakeholders outside this realm have a lot to gain from the data as well.
Multiphysics simulation adds realism to any scenario
The benefits of performance previews transcend industries and product offerings. Working at a simulation software company, I have had a front-row seat to the many ways modelling and simulation have enabled users to speed up innovation and reduce overall costs. For example, there was the loudspeaker engineer who talked about turning an idea in his head into a viable product that would both perform well and look good, and he credited simulation with turbocharging the design iteration process.
Simulation data is only as useful as it is realistic, though, and sometimes the spec changes at a rapid pace. The way simulation has largely been used in R&D to account for this real-world complexity requires training on how to use the software of choice. Today, however, engineers are putting simulation into the hands of far more people throughout the organisation and even in places that were previously completely unthinkable. How? By building easy-to-use apps based on their computational models, customised to suit specific business needs.
Making decisions with simulation data
Let's imagine a company that produces luxury cars. Today's consumers expect a lot more from their ride than safely going from point A to point B – one of those things being sound quality.
While market research can guide you to this realisation, acting on it requires more than just sourcing a luxury loudspeaker and putting it into the car. There are many factors that affect sound quality inside a car cabin: the way sound bounces off the interior might go from acoustic bliss to tinny tunes if the car door design changes or the customer chooses a different type of trim. By using multiphysics modelling, you can accurately visualise how different designs will sound in specific car cabins and optimise designs and configurations before going to production. One supplier of audio technology for car manufacturers built its own custom simulation apps to quickly and easily visualise how its loudspeakers would sound inside the car environment, design changes and all.
Next, let's consider an inventory example. On the surface, it is just a numbers game, but in reality, physics and chemistry also have a hand in the pot. Food expires at different rates depending on various factors such as storage conditions. In the global food supply chain, cold rooms are used for storing fresh produce between picking and shipping.
The problem is that refrigerated space is often scarce and occupied by crops that are past their peak while new shipments sit around waiting for refrigeration. Engineers from an organisation in Switzerland knew that multiphysics simulation could be used to predict how many days are left before a particular fruit expires by accounting for overall size, peel thickness, air flow, temperature and humidity. In their pursuit of solving the refrigerated food storage problem in developing countries, the engineers joined a multinational consortium of food supply stakeholders to build a mobile app powered by multiphysics simulation with an interface customised for cold room managers and farmers.
It worked: In August 2022, the company rolled out its app to 17 cold rooms serving more than 300 farmers, who reported a 20 per cent increase in income and 20 per cent reduction in post-harvest food losses.
Now, consider a construction company. Building more structures leads to more revenue, but hiring enough contractors for the job and motivating them to work quickly does not guarantee a greater profit. Choices made at the construction site determine how fast concrete will harden and ultimately how strong and durable it will be. Without predictive analysis, picking the best concrete mix and deciding when to remove the supporting framework involves mostly intuition and conjecture.
One of the world's largest suppliers of cement, aggregates and precast concrete rolled out an app to take away the guesswork for contractors. The simulation app incorporates information such as onsite weather conditions, both current and in the forecast, to provide a more accurate estimate of how fast the concrete will cure.
These are just a few examples of how simulation helps inform business decisions, but the number of possible use cases is endless. Simulation data belongs anywhere decisions are made. When organisations build and distribute their own custom apps, everyone in the workforce will be able to make decisions based on forecasts that account for real-world complexities and the underlying laws of physics – without having to first learn how to use simulation software. The world is ever changing, and simulation apps help companies and teams of all kinds keep pace.