Scenario Analysis Animation

Build and Play Scenarios

On this page, you can read how to use Dragon1 to build and play animated scenarios and analyze them. In the Workplace, there is a tutorial available on how to create a scenario step by step.

Here you see an example demo of an animated scenario

What is a Scenario?

A scenario is a sequence of actions and changes based on assumptions, decisions, and events leading to business outcomes.

A scenario has input and out values and a scenario is applied to a context or environment of organizations/systems. The organization or systems-specific interpreted output values (results) of a scenario are called Business Outcomes.

Create a Scenario

On Dragon1 you can create or model a scenario for any type of solution or project, using the following entity classes:

  1. Name - A name for the scenario
  2. Description - A description of the scenario
  3. Begin Situation
  4. End Situation
  5. Input Value - A begin value for the scenario
  6. (computed) Output Value - An end value of the scenario
  7. (computed) Business Outcome - A measurable (un)desired (change in) performance result or quality result of the business. Examples of business outcomes are a 10% increase in sales, a 5% increase in customer satisfaction, or a 20% reduction in injuries.
  8. Action - An action is the act, fact, or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim, objective, goal, or target. Examples of actions are: writing a document, programming software, constructing a desk, informing people, and testing materials.
  9. Change - A change is an act, fact, or process through which something becomes different. A change is about changing what is present now and how it is done up until now. A change is a type of action. An example of a change is: up until now in the project we used programming language X, but that costs too much time and training, so now we change to use programming language Y for the left period of time in the project.
  10. Decision
  11. Assumption
  12. Context / Environment
  13. Organization / System
  14. Principle and Rule for the Context and Organization
  15. Event - Something happening
  16. Trigger - The cause of one or more actions to start
  17. Result

A scenario can be linked to and run for any model, view, or visualization on Dragon1.

The input values are set fields. The output and business outcomes values are computed fields. For example: Suppose you have a set of applications with the costs filled in as value, you can show the average costs per application in an output value. If you remove applications from your organization as part of the scenario, you will see the value change automatically if you have set this option in the Scenario, or you can use the scRecalculateValues(); function.

The changes can hold actual visual changes to a model, view, or visualization. That is done by entering scenario functions. (See below).

If a change conflicts with a defined principle or rule, the tool will show a message box. Decisions can be configured so they show an input box or that you as a user can click on a yes or no question. In this way, stakeholders viewing the scenario can alter the scenario.

Create a Scenario Model

On Dragon1 a metamodel for scenarios is available helping you to know what entity classes to use and to relate. You can even choose to have Dragon1 disable forbidden or unwanted relationships based on the metamodel.

You can also create your metamodel for scenarios on Dragon1.

If you instantiate a scenario, input value, output value, business outcome, change, action, and result. If you link these entities together with relationships, you already have your first scenario.

It is common to create more than one scenario and to choose the best scenario for your project or solution, based on how likely the scenario is or what the best outcomes are for the business.

View a Scenario

A scenario can be viewed in the content viewer. It is a separate model shown below a visualization containing the subject (like an architecture, system, solution, or project).

Play a Scenario

In the content viewer there is a player available. If you have used frames, layers, and action scripts to move visual items around, you will see a scenario playing in front of you.

You can alter the scenario at any moment by clicking on the items in the model (you logically disable or enable the action, change, assumption, or decisions.) and with that influence the business outcomes.

Scenario Functions

Sometimes you want items in a visualization to appear, move, disappear, change color, size, name, etc. To do this on Dragon1, you make use of scenario functions.

The following scenario functions are currently available (names are case-sensitive):

  1. scPositionEntity(); *) Allowed function to use in the professional edition
  2. scColorEntity(); *) Allowed function to use in the professional edition
  3. scMoveEntity();
  4. scRemoveEntity();
  5. scWait(millseconds);
  6. scResizeEntity();
  7. scBlinkEntity();
  8. scPlaySound();
  9. scHighLightEntity();
  10. scLowLightEntity();
  11. scRecalculateValues();

These functions need to be filled in into the description field, the action script field, or the command field of the scenario.

If you make use of frames, layers, and functions and you see visual items moving or changing, we call this visualization an animation.

Business Case Modeling

If you want to do business modeling you can define various scenarios (let's say three) with favorably the same business outcome(s): Worst Case, Average Case, and Best Case. The scenarios will often differ in risks and costs. This will help you choose the best scenario for the organization.

Outlook versus Auditing: two different types of scenarios

When creating scenarios you can create an outlook scenario that is predicting how things will be. But you can also create a scenario to review and look back at how things have taken place.

Most often in projects people will create scenarios of the past period in a project or program and try to predict the business outcomes of the project and use that to decide what should be decided or done next.

Time Frames and History Views

You can define timeframes in a visualization and link the items from the scenario to a timeframe. Then when playing the scenario, per time frame the linked items will be executed. You can have as many time frames as you like, each having its duration.