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Introduction of Government Process Modeling With Rockwell Arena SoftwareFigure 3.Entities moving through an entire process and waiting inqueue for a resource required to complete (sub)process 1Our impression is that the one student with years of working experience inlocal government had more initial understanding of the importance of processes,even though she had not used Arena software. Whether she gained moreinsights 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 explicitsupport for modeling shared services. Because of this, it is not an ideal tool forintroducing students to service-oriented architecture (SOA). We are of theopinion that even if the software did explicitly support the modeling andsimulation of shared services, the students in this course probably would nothave realized the potential of IT systems to support strategic alliances ofagencies and nonprofit organizations.The students did appear to experience a positive novelty effect when firstseeing their models in simulation mode. As shown in Figure 3, an Arenasimulation can have the appearance of a simple multimedia game. Studentsfound the interface aesthetically pleasing and intellectually stimulating as theywatched entities race across the model and stack up in queues to wait forconstrained resources to be available. The visual simulation that Arena providesenables its users literally to see the consequences of complex interactions thatinvolve multiple entities and limited organizational resources. While it may bepossible to guess which resources will become constraints without use of such atool, it can be far more instructive to see queues forming on the screen while thesimulation runs. Upon completion of the simulation, it is possible to study thedata reports that Arena provides to observe average total service times and othermeasures. (See Figure 3.)It should be noted that process modeling and/or simulation can be done withother software tools, including BEA AquaLogic BPM, Microsoft Excel, andMicrosoft Visio. In our opinions, Arena is by far a superior tool for introducingprocess modeling and simulation to students. Visio does not support simulation,and Excel does not support model visualization. One of this article’s authorspreviously had taught using BEA AquaLogic BPM software, and found that someof its automated features were distracting and annoying. As a result, students spent392 Journal of Public Affairs Education
Introduction of Government Process Modeling With Rockwell Arena Softwaretoo much time with the instructor, correcting modeling assumptions made by theBEA 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 anticipatethe intentions of the user. It also does not interrupt instructional momentum veryoften. In simulation mode, it usually gives simple and relatively clear explanationsof faults in the model that may prevent it from running as a simulation.CONCLUSIONSInstructors of MPA courses can use Arena software to introduce businessprocess modeling into core courses with little or no cost. It is not necessary forinstructors to become Arena experts in order to achieve modest pedagogicalobjectives in an MPA core course. Colleagues in Business Administration orIndustrial Engineering who have experience with Arena software may beavailable to help MPA faculty members learn the basics necessary for using it inan MPA curriculum. In the present case, the instructor had attended Rockwelltraining, had previously taught with Arena, and had an intermediate ability touse the software. Instructors also must understand the basics of business process(re)design in order to make constructive use of the software. The explanationsby Harmon (2007) are adequate and appropriate for this purpose. Knowingonly the admonitions of advocates for business process reengineering is not anadequate preparation for teaching business process (re)design.MPA instructors are advised not to give students an open-ended assignmentfor redesigning a business process in a core course. We instead recommendgiving specific lab assignments that are similar to the first three assignmentsdescribed in this article. A class assignment where the instructor provides adescription of a simple, real-world process and asks students to produce a modeland a simulation using Arena certainly is feasible. By defining the domain, andlimiting the scope of assignments, the instructor can anticipate and respond tostudents’ questions. Students and instructors are less likely to face conditionsthat are relatively difficult to implement in Arena if each assignment has adefined domain and scope.Instructors should take the size, composition, and mode of delivery of acourse into consideration when creating computer lab assignments. Computerlab assignments can be stressful and time-consuming in MPA programs, partlybecause students may have anxieties about learning new computer skills. In largeclasses, it may be advisable to have students work in small groups rather than asindividuals. If such assignments are to be included in an online course, theinstructor can use a tool like Techsmith’s Camtasia Studio to producemultimedia demonstrations for the Web. Camtasia Studio is a program thatrecords all or part of a computer screen, and integrates an audio-trackexplanation into the resulting video file. It runs on Microsoft WindowsJournal of Public Affairs Education 393
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