Whitepapers

E L I T E C H A N N E L PA R T N E R simulation@rand.com | RandSIM.com | 888.483.0674 Simulation Software as a Marketing Tool Improving Strategic Marketing with Simulation Software As companies adopt simulation software to optimize their designs, many can reap additional benefits by demonstrating their product's success to their customer base. Instead of merely explaining how their products work, they can now show how they work. Here are three ways companies can leverage simulation in strategic marketing efforts: 1. Competitive benchmarking Simulation software equips companies with tools that show customers how their products perform side-by-side with others. For example, if someone questioned a car dealer about mile-per-gallon claims, a virtual demonstration could help prove the claim and close the sale. With the analysis possible with simulation software, companies can tailor their marketing to address common customer needs by showing how their products compare with competitors. Imagine the power of replacing this statement, "Our product has best-in-class performance" with, "Our product performs 42% better than the market leader according to the standard industry life cycle test." 2. Repeatability Simulation mitigates uncertainties in physical testing because simulation is math, and math is not subjective. Using simulation, an engineer dictates factors like material specifications, test conditions, exact part CAD fidelity, and where to collect data within the model. In physical testing, errors can occur because of any number of factors, such as inconsistent test conditions, dated instrumentation, incorrect sensor placement, or incorrect prototype fidelity. 3. Visual Impact With simulation, customers can see how a product performs throughout its life cycle. For example, physical testing can't easily show a fluid flowing through a heat exchanger or how air is stagnating in a room. With simulation, you can visualize flow or internal behavior without impacting the behavior of the part. An example is shown below where one an see air flowing through a room. It's a powerful message that gives potential customers the insight needed to build a case and confidently justify a purchase. Example 2 Cost of testing with simulation support: 1 simulation, 2 tests, 3 days each plus reporting time Total: $36,800 and 11 days • Simulation Support » $2,400 » 2 days • 3 Physical Tests » $17,200 each » 3 days each • Total Cost: $36,800 • Total Test Plan: 11 days Engineering Labor ($7200) Additional 8 hours for reporting results 2 Test Engineers (~$150/hr) Material ($10,000) 1 Prototype 1 Physical Test (16 Hours) Simulation Support (16 hours) Simulation Labor ($2400) 1 Simulation Engineer (~$150/hr) +

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