Two models and a methodology are presented as a practical means to describe complex systems and to develop an improved understanding of how they work. General results along with a focus on one interesting aspect of each will be discussed.

Enlisted Manpower - Developed for Commander, Submarine Force Pacific. Addresses the problem of adequately manning submarines with qualified crews. Focus on the effect of soft variables and modeling techniques for them, e.g. morale.

Workflow and Work Planning – Developed for Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego. Addresses the problem of throughput and in process work constrained by structural bottlenecks, delays and resource capacity constraints. Focus on use of model results to orient process change particularly in identifying ineffective solutions.