ExtendSim® training
ExtendSim training formats and questions
Classes are small and taught live by Andy and Amber Siprelle, never from a recording. Every course has hands-on exercises with solution files you keep.
We built a good part of what you will be learning
We wrote the first course. Andy created the original official ExtendSim training program, and Amber led it for many years after him. SDI has trained thousands of simulation professionals in public workshops and private classes.
We built the rate libraries. Andy created bulk flow simulation in 1990. Our Bulk Flow (Rate) and Database libraries became the origin of ExtendSim's Discrete Rate and Database libraries. How discrete rate works.
We still build in it. For 35+ years we have built ExtendSim models, custom blocks and libraries for real plants and supply chains. We teach the habits that keep a model usable after the class ends. Our ExtendSim work.
On-site, live online, or one-on-one
| Format | How it runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| On-site | Full days at your plant or office | A team learning together on its own model |
| In person | 2 or 3 full days at a top hotel in a Southeast city | Uninterrupted time away from the plant. Cities and dates |
| Live online | Sessions of about 2 hours, with homework between | Spread-out teams; keeping up with the day job |
| Coaching | Booked sessions on your model | A modeler partway through a real project |
Free ExtendSim learning resources
- Discrete rate simulation explained, from the people who created it
- Discrete rate vs. discrete event on a high-speed line
- Buffer size vs. process variability
- Our Winter Simulation Conference papers, 1995 to 2020
- Moving a model between versions or tools
- The self-guided tour of real models and results
Is this the official ANDRITZ ExtendSim course?
No. SDI is an independent consultancy. Andy wrote the original official ExtendSim course, and we have taught ExtendSim ever since, but our courses are our own. ANDRITZ, which makes ExtendSim, runs its own public classes.
Who teaches the ExtendSim courses?
Andy and Amber Siprelle teach every class. Andy wrote the original official ExtendSim course and created the rate-based modeling behind the Rate library. Amber led SDI's ExtendSim training for many years.
Do we need an ExtendSim license to take a course?
Yes, each student needs ExtendSim installed and activated before class. A trial license works for the Fundamentals course. Licenses come from ANDRITZ or its resellers.
Which ExtendSim version do you teach?
The current releases, plus older Extend and ExtendSim versions when your models live there. We can also help move old models forward.
Can the course use our own model and data?
Yes, and we recommend it. Team classes are built on a model of your line, plant or supply chain. We sign an NDA whenever you need one.
Do I need discrete event or discrete rate?
Discrete event fits jobs, orders, people and vehicles. Discrete rate fits high-speed lines and bulk flow, where tracking every can or bag makes a model slow. Many real models use both, and the Discrete Rate course covers how they fit together.
How much does ExtendSim training cost?
Online classes are $1,688 per student for ExtendSim Fundamentals and $1,168 for Discrete Rate or Database and Experiments. In-person classes are $1,888 for 3 days and $1,688 for 2 days. Fees include the course materials and exercise files. On-site and private team classes are quoted for the group. Pay by purchase order and invoice, or by card.
The kind of models we teach from
Real ExtendSim projects: a chemical bagging operation and an olive plant built on our rate libraries.
Chemical bagging lines: capacity vs. overtime
Weighing new bagging lines against overtime, and finding low-capital room to grow.
Olive plant capacity: 15% more throughput
Finding the real bottlenecks in an olive plant, and 15% more throughput from scheduling.
15% throughput improvementTell us your problem
Plan your ExtendSim training
Who needs training, which course, on-site or online, and is there a model you want to teach from? We'll send a plan.
- A straight answer on whether simulation is the right tool
- Which tool fits, even if it isn't one we use every day
- A rough scope and timeline, before any commitment