Set up a custom Dashboard for a zone

00:03

In FlexSim, zones can be used to gather statistics for specific sets of activities within your model.

00:10

Once you add a zone to your process flow, you can create a custom dashboard to display the gathered statistics,

00:17

enabling you to analyze this zone within your process flow.

00:22

In this example, a process flow that includes a zone has already been set up.

00:28

To create a dashboard, in the Toolbar, select Dashboards > Add Blank Dashboard.

00:38

In the dashboard Library, there is a group specific to Zones.

00:43

Here, select Zone Statistics, and then select and drag a Bar Chart onto the dashboard.

00:50

Resize the bar chart as needed.

00:53

In Bar Chart Properties, first, you need to indicate which zone you want to collect statistics for.

01:01

Click the Zone sampler, then sample the Zone in the process flow.

01:08

Next, expand Statistic to view the numerous options for the type of statistic that you are gathering.

01:15

In this case, select Content, which refers to the number of items in the zone.

01:22

Next, specify the rest of the options, which update based on your selection.

01:29

Note that because the Zone starts with zero tokens, the Minimum will always read zero, so it is not necessary to display it on the dashboard.

01:39

Here, deselect Minimum and leave Current, Maximum, and Average selected.

01:47

Reset, Run, and Step the model forward, then Stop it to view the statistics.

01:55

On the dashboard, the Average is 2.69, the Maximum is 5, and the Current is 5.

02:04

In Properties, expand Statistic again.

02:08

Input shows the number of tokens that enter the Zone, while Output shows the number that exit the Zone.

02:16

Here, select Staytime to view how long tokens remain in the Zone.

02:22

Reset, Run, and Step the model forward.

02:26

This time, when you Stop the model, you can see that the Maximum staytime is 21.74 seconds,

02:34

the Current is 14.93, and the Average is 12.40 seconds.

02:41

Reset the model.

02:44

Back in the chart Properties, expand Statistics again to view the request statistics,

02:49

which include Request Input, Request Output, and Request Staytime.

02:56

These provide statistics on the tokens that are requesting, or waiting, to enter the Zone.

03:02

In the process flow, select the Zone.

03:07

In Properties, you can see that the Zone is set up with a Max Content of 5,

03:12

which means that once the maximum is reached, all other tokens will wait to enter the Zone.

03:19

To illustrate the use of a request statistic, add a Zone Statistics > Line Chart to the dashboard.

03:28

From the Line Chart Properties, sample the Zone in the flow, and then set the Statistic to Request Content.

03:39

Now, when you Run the model, the Line Chart shows how many tokens are waiting to enter the Zone at a given time.

03:46

Reset the model.

03:49

With the Line Chart still selected, in the Statistic options, Request Input is the number of tokens that are in the Request area,

03:57

or the Enter Zone activity.

03:60

Request Output refers to any tokens that have left the request area and have entered the Zone.

04:06

This time, select Request Staytime to view how long tokens wait to get into the Zone.

04:13

Reset, Run, and Step the model forward to view these statistics in the chart.