Monte Carlo Simulation Outcomes

At the outcome task of the simulation, the usual simulation products are graphical, tabular, and often presented as reports. Figure 7-9 shows typical data, including a "critical path and near-critical analysis" on paths that might be in the example network. The usual analysis products from a Monte Carlo simulation might include:

• A probability density distribution, with absolute values of outcome value and a vertical dimension scaled to meet the requirement that the sum of all probabilities equals 1

• A cumulative probability distribution, the so-called "S" curve, again scaled from 0 to 1 or 0 to 100% on the vertical axis and the value outcomes on the horizontal axis

• Other statistical parameters, such as mean and standard deviation