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Introduction of Government Process Modeling With Rockwell Arena Software Figure 3. Entities moving through an entire process and waiting in queue for a resource required to complete (sub)process 1 Our impression is that the one student with years of working experience in local government had more initial understanding of the importance of processes, even though she had not used Arena software. Whether she gained more insights than the other students by working with Arena in the course is unclear. It is important to note here that Arena software does not provide any explicit support for modeling shared services. Because of this, it is not an ideal tool for introducing students to service-oriented architecture (SOA). We are of the opinion that even if the software did explicitly support the modeling and simulation of shared services, the students in this course probably would not have realized the potential of IT systems to support strategic alliances of agencies and nonprofit organizations. The students did appear to experience a positive novelty effect when first seeing their models in simulation mode. As shown in Figure 3, an Arena simulation can have the appearance of a simple multimedia game. Students found the interface aesthetically pleasing and intellectually stimulating as they watched entities race across the model and stack up in queues to wait for constrained resources to be available. The visual simulation that Arena provides enables its users literally to see the consequences of complex interactions that involve multiple entities and limited organizational resources. While it may be possible to guess which resources will become constraints without use of such a tool, it can be far more instructive to see queues forming on the screen while the simulation runs. Upon completion of the simulation, it is possible to study the data reports that Arena provides to observe average total service times and other measures. (See Figure 3.) It should be noted that process modeling and/or simulation can be done with other software tools, including BEA AquaLogic BPM, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Visio. In our opinions, Arena is by far a superior tool for introducing process modeling and simulation to students. Visio does not support simulation, and Excel does not support model visualization. One of this article’s authors previously had taught using BEA AquaLogic BPM software, and found that some of its automated features were distracting and annoying. As a result, students spent 392 Journal of Public Affairs Education
Introduction of Government Process Modeling With Rockwell Arena Software too much time with the instructor, correcting modeling assumptions made by the BEA software. Nontraditional students and others may have “computer anxiety” and a low tolerance for frustration when working on computer lab assignments. Arena is a good choice for instructional purposes, because it does not anticipate the intentions of the user. It also does not interrupt instructional momentum very often. In simulation mode, it usually gives simple and relatively clear explanations of faults in the model that may prevent it from running as a simulation. CONCLUSIONS Instructors of MPA courses can use Arena software to introduce business process modeling into core courses with little or no cost. It is not necessary for instructors to become Arena experts in order to achieve modest pedagogical objectives in an MPA core course. Colleagues in Business Administration or Industrial Engineering who have experience with Arena software may be available to help MPA faculty members learn the basics necessary for using it in an MPA curriculum. In the present case, the instructor had attended Rockwell training, had previously taught with Arena, and had an intermediate ability to use the software. Instructors also must understand the basics of business process (re)design in order to make constructive use of the software. The explanations by Harmon (2007) are adequate and appropriate for this purpose. Knowing only the admonitions of advocates for business process reengineering is not an adequate preparation for teaching business process (re)design. MPA instructors are advised not to give students an open-ended assignment for redesigning a business process in a core course. We instead recommend giving specific lab assignments that are similar to the first three assignments described in this article. A class assignment where the instructor provides a description of a simple, real-world process and asks students to produce a model and a simulation using Arena certainly is feasible. By defining the domain, and limiting the scope of assignments, the instructor can anticipate and respond to students’ questions. Students and instructors are less likely to face conditions that are relatively difficult to implement in Arena if each assignment has a defined domain and scope. Instructors should take the size, composition, and mode of delivery of a course into consideration when creating computer lab assignments. Computer lab assignments can be stressful and time-consuming in MPA programs, partly because students may have anxieties about learning new computer skills. In large classes, it may be advisable to have students work in small groups rather than as individuals. If such assignments are to be included in an online course, the instructor can use a tool like Techsmith’s Camtasia Studio to produce multimedia demonstrations for the Web. Camtasia Studio is a program that records all or part of a computer screen, and integrates an audio-track explanation into the resulting video file. It runs on Microsoft Windows Journal of Public Affairs Education 393
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EDITOR’S NOTE REFERENCES Henry, N
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Public Values As a Core Element of
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