Patent ID: 8862493

Claim:
A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product being configured to cause a data processing apparatus to: receive a model of a process characterized by steps and a plurality of process parameters; receive performance data related to execution of the process and resources required by the process for execution; receive a selection of a simulation target; generate a simulation of the process such that the model of the process is simulated according to the simulation target using the performance data and the resources as input to the process parameters; calculate an influence of a respective process parameter of the plurality of process parameters to the simulation target; calculate one of the following categories of a certainty level indicator for each process parameter of the plurality of process parameters: a first category for the certainty level indicator by determining that a variance of the respective process parameter is below a threshold value, a second category for the certainty level indicator by determining that the variance of the respective process parameter is above the threshold value, and determining that the respective process parameter matches a known distribution function from a database storing known distribution functions, or a third category for the certainty level indicator by determining that the variance of the respective process parameter is above the threshold value, determining that the respective process parameter does not match a known distribution function from the database storing the known distribution functions, and determining that the respective process parameter is sensitive; present the calculated first, second, or third category of the certainty level indicator for each respective process parameter to a user in a manner that indicates the calculated influence of the respective process parameter to the simulation target; receive modifications to the performance data associated with at least one of the plurality of process parameters; and simulate the execution of the process based on the modifications to the performance data.