Setting toll charges involves one of the most important rights of the free citizen in a democratic regime: the freedom to come and go. This paper proposes a model for toll pricing which would maximize satisfaction of the many user types, as well as providing price elasticity and trade-off data across the highways. The study also links static and dynamic models. One of the major issues presented in maximizing the quality of services provided by highway licensees today is the additional flow of vehicles, which, in turn, reduces the perception of quality. The use of this dynamic simulation technique will allow for the analysis of many possible scenarios of long-term balance, including the introduction of macro-economic variables.
Setting toll charges involves one of the most important rights of the free citizen in a democratic regime: the freedom to come and go. This paper proposes a model for toll pricing which would maximize satisfaction of the many user types, as well as providing price elasticity and trade-off data across the highways. The study also links static and dynamic models. One of the major issues presented in maximizing the quality of services provided by highway licensees today is the additional flow of vehicles, which, in turn, reduces the perception of quality. The use of this dynamic simulation technique will allow for the analysis of many possible scenarios of long-term balance, including the introduction of macro-economic variables.
A micro-behavioral marketing model provides the conceptual framework to explain free choice decision making among consumers who purchase our products or services. Since it is a micro model, it portrays the decision making of each individual respondent, one at a time. The underlying structure of the model is a highly simplified representation of the extremely complicated cognitive processes which actually take place when a consumer decides to choose or not choose a particular product or service. The simplifying assumption is that we are "creatures of satisfaction." We tend to make decisions, within acceptable economic and social constraints, which favour the things we like the most and derive the most satisfaction from possessing.
The authors of this paper consider that they encountered the challenge during the Seventies and that it is appropriate for them to recount their experience for the benefit of those of their fellows who have not been confronted with it as yet. Apart from this desire to share experience - and perhaps even more motivating still, they hope that the paper will arouse a feed-back of information and reaction. The ambitions of the paper are threefold: - To draw attention to the increasing relevancy of simulation models in a market environment that is undergoing radical change and to the usefulness of such models both for market researchers and for decision-makers generally; - To illustrate, by a case study, the manner in which these models can be constructed; - To demonstrate the fact that these models can make an effective contribution in actual practice.
The authors of this paper consider that they encountered the challenge during the Seventies and that it is appropriate for them to recount their experience for the benefit of those of their fellows who have not been confronted with it as yet. Apart from this desire to share experience - and perhaps even more motivating still, they hope that the paper will arouse a feed-back of information and reaction. The ambitions of the paper are threefold: - To draw attention to the increasing relevancy of simulation models in a market environment that is undergoing radical change and to the usefulness of such models both for market researchers and for decision-makers generally; - To illustrate, by a case study, the manner in which these models can be constructed; - To demonstrate the fact that these models can make an effective contribution in actual practice.
The present study develops a System which explains resultant data (drug prescriptions) in terms of causal measures (doctor behaviour) and enables Management to set strategic plans, to control and evaluate them. The system of the present study is composed of a series of "Models" such as doctor behaviour communication, doctor behaviour and sales man models. Each model represents the process which Management believes goes on within that segment of a Marketing activity. The Simulation Based Information System developed for two french drug companies becomes therefore a test market without memory in which Management may examine with impunity the complications of alternative policies and strategies in the whole pharmaceutical market. Whether introducing new drug or considering modification of a marketing program, in the doctor or salesman sector, management may apply alternative strategies in the simulated environment and evaluate their implications under various assured competitors conditions.
Philips pursue a policy of systematically evaluating new methodology for improving the Company's marketing decisions. Marketing models of several types have been developed, especially using regression techniques on time series data. However, ranch methods are limited by the availability of data and do not always give marketing management sufficient flexibility to test out the consequences of alternative marketing strategies. The development of methodology for the micro-behavioural, simulation of consumer choice-making seemed to provide the potential for improving the Company's ability to understand its marketing effort.
The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the application of survey data to government policy analysis. For over two years, Canadians have been engaged in a major review of their social security system. One aspect of this review has been the development of realistic proposals for a guaranteed annual income for Canadians. As part of the review process, the Federal Government has tried to develop and apply the analytical capabilities necessary to evaluate the policy implications of alternatives as they arose. One such development was the construction of a micro-simulation model based on a comprehensive income survey of the Canadian population. The purpose of this model was to estimate the costs and effectiveness of the given proposals.
As consultants, we have been usually involved in reducing uncertainty associated with marketing decisions in large international companies. It means in general implementing simulation models based on more or less complex internal information systems. When we have to deal with fashion goods, uncertainty is even much larger. However, paradoxically, simple information systems may be designed, provided full cooperation of various services in the company is obtainable (which is easier to achieve in a medium-size company). To prove how a simple information system can be efficient even on an agitated market, we shall deliberately analyse the simplest of our experiences in the field of the manufacturing or distributing clothing.
The System discussed in this paper was designed to provide the Management of NICOL, a French Chain-Stores Retailer, with a new aid in the analysis, evaluation and planning of marketing activities. The specific object of the project was the design of a complete simulation of the Retailer Store Wine Market that would enable Management to investigate, in a synthetic environment, the implications of alternative strategies and policies without making the commitment of resources required for comparable investigation in the real world.