Background and Purpose:The aim of this paper is to present the influence of Industry 4.0 on the development of the new simulation modelling paradigm, embodied by the Digital Twin concept, and examine the adoption of the new paradigm via a multiple case study involving real-life R&D cases involving academia and industry. Design: We introduce the Industry 4.0 paradigm, presents its background, current state of development and its influence on the development of the simulation modelling paradigm. Further, we present the multiple case study methodology and examine several research and development projects involving automated industrial process modelling, presented in recent scientific publications and conclude with lessons learned. Results: We present the research problems and main results from five individual cases of adoption of the new simulation modelling paradigm. Main lesson learned is that while the new simulation modelling paradigm is being adopted by big companies and SMEs, there are significant differences depending on company size in problems that they face, and the methodologies and technologies they use to overcome the issues. Conclusion: While the examined cases indicate the acceptance of the new simulation modelling paradigm in the industrial and scientific communities, its adoption in academic environment requires close cooperation with industry partners and diversification of knowledge of researchers in order to build integrated, multi-level models of cyber-physical systems. As shown by the presented cases, lack of tools is not a problem, as the current generation of general purpose simulation modelling tools offers adequate integration options.

This paper presents a novel heuristic method for machine layout optimisation, developed in the course of an internal factory logistics optimisation project. The method is developed from a force-directed graph drawing algorithm, and integrates random permutations using simulated annealing to avoid local minima. The method was verified and validated with a discrete event simulation (DES) model of a furniture development factory consisting of 140 machines. The DES model was developed for manufacturing system analysis as well as design and testing of optimisation methods. The main optimisation goal was reduction of transport costs by minimising the total distance the products travel between the machines. The optimisation problem extends the quadratic assignment problem (QAP) by allowing arbitrary granularity of locations, facility sizes and fixed facilities. The resulting method can be used to solve a wider range of problems by altering the optimisation function or adding new feasibility conditions.

The state administration in Slovenia is undergoing its biggest reform since the country's secession from Yugoslavia in 1991. The civil servants need to adjust to a large number of changes in a very short time. They face a continually changing regulatory framework that they need to implement and enforce, as well as new demands from the growing private sector and citizens at large. These challenges can only be met by highly qualified civil servants who are constantly updating their qualifications. Therefore systematic in-service training is crucial to keep the civil servants competent in a rapidly changing environment.This article examines the practices of training evaluation in a branch of Slovene state administration. The article compares the attitudes of employees towards evaluation with the assumption that significant differences may exist among the attitudes of employees of different demographic characteristics.After having identified a conceptual framework that examines the notion of training evaluation among civil servants, the research questions related to determinants and consequences of evaluation were explored. Research assessing the influence of respondents' demographic characteristics was conducted among a population of civil servants, and 414 responses were gathered. The results obtained indicate that the influence of hierarchical position prevailed, although the managers (leading civil servants) are less involved in evaluation than expected. Empirical data also demonstrate that the majority of employees are willing to participate in permanent and transparent training evaluation. Downloaded from Points for practitionersThis article may be of interest to researchers and managers involved in the planning and evaluation of civil servant training. Evaluation of the results of training presents feedback information to the training managers and is a key component in the systematic approach to training. The article sheds light on the relationship between demographic characteristics of training participants and their attitude towards training evaluation, and may help managers develop a systematic training model that will be better tailored to the demographic characteristics of their target group.

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