easyABMS: a domain-expert oriented methodology for Agent Based Modeling and Simulation

Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS) has arisen as new approach to effectivelysupport domain experts to cope with the growing complexity of the problems which theyhave to face and solve. To date, few methodologies are available which can be exploited bydomain experts with limited programming expertise to model and subsequently analyzecomplex systems typical of their application domains. In this paper the easyABMS methodologyis proposed to overcome the lack of integrated methodologies able to seamlesslyguide domain experts from the analysis of the system under consideration to its modelingand analysis of simulation results. The effectiveness of easyABMS is also experimentedthrough a case study in the logistics domain which concerns the analysis of different policiesfor managing vehicles used for stacking and moving containers in a transhipmentterminal.