Interview: We Expect That the Demand for Simulation Tools Will Grow

Jan Slajer and Petr Jaluvka are working in a consulting organization focused on dynamic simulations in logistics, production and company management. The beginning of the year (and the entry to the third decade of the company’s operation) is a good opportunity to look back and discuss the future. “We don’t have a crystal ball, but we expect that the demand for simulation tools will grow even more,” says J. Slajer.

Jan Slajer

What do you consider to be the biggest success of DYNAMIC FUTURE?

Petr Jaluvka: That we didn’t start the company with the vision of earning quick money. Instead, we have been building it with people who stay with us. I am glad that DYNAMIC FUTURE is now a synonym for dynamic simulation, companies contact us by themselves and during the twenty years, we’ve had the chance to work for most of the world brands. Thanks to our projects, we have managed to penetrate various fields and therefore been able to transform thoughts across fields.

Jan Slajer: The customers that we worked with in the beginning of DYNAMIC FUTURE, such as Trinecke zelezarny or Siemens, keep coming back to us. We have worked on several projects with them and continued the cooperation. They give us the ability to participate in their development. We are very glad and it’s a good signal that our work is good.

Petr Jaluvka

What was 2020 like for you?

Jan Slajer: We were surprised and pleased that there was not a lack of work, even though we perceived that some companies stopped with investments. The period brought processes streamlining. Previously, we went to clients, now we are able to deal with a lot of stuff online. However, it’s true that in some cases, it’s better to meet the clients in person. When we need to sketch something or think something through… a video conference is not omnipotent.

Petr Jaluvka: It was interesting that a lot of people that we met at online meetings talked about lack of social contact. We realized that even though we live for simulations in DYNAMIC FUTURE, we love the ability to share emotions in person. 

What’s the hardest part when you start cooperating with companies? What are their worries related to dynamic simulation?

Petr Jaluvka: A lot of companies are afraid that they don’t have data or that they will have to intensively cooperate with us for a long time. That’s not true. Of course, we need to communicate with them, need to know specific processes and need the data, however, I think that we’re always able to carry out even projects that seemed intangible in the beginning. We’re always able to set outputs of data sources in the most usable way.

Jan Slajer: We don’t put extreme requirements on people in companies. I would say that SAP implementation is much more demanding for them. Most of the time, we need a contact person that is able to handle communication across the company in the way to get all the needed information and data from other workers. Our data analysts are then able to get and process everything they need.

How much are Czech companies inclined to simulation technologies?

Petr Jaluvka: They should definitely use them more. (laughter) But seriously: a while ago, I met with a person who works for a huge company that is planning to build a new big warehouse. Without using a simulation tool. I think that it’s quite a hazard at this point. A lot of companies make decisions based on Excel calculations. And then they’re surprised that the process’s settings are not like they expected or wanted them to be. That would not happen with simulation.

Jan Slajer: It’s quite apparent based on our experience with Lanner. We provide digital twins for it in Great Britain, USA, but also Slovakia, for example. The companies that use them are able to make evidence-based decisions about any investment. Because they’re able to simulate everything before they do it. This kind of approach is lacking here, in my opinion. I would expect that if a company builds a warehouse, production hall or buys a new production line, it first verifies whether the settings that it’s going to apply are going to bring the presumed results and development. And that’s not really happening. 

We are on the threshold of 2021. Try to predict the progression of it.

Jan Slajer: Let’s take a crystal ball… Now, it’s really hard to predict anything. In DYNAMIC FUTURE, we are optimistic about the future. But we know that everything might be different. The most significant changes are going to take place in logistics.

Petr Jaluvka: If I take a look at it from the perspective of technologies, software support is a widely discussed topic. Companies are aware that a person sitting at a computer rewriting information from paper to system is not bringing any value and besides that, they must be pretty bored. On the market, there is a lack of warehouse workers, because whose dream is to run around the warehouse with a transport pallet? I see a certain trend here – looking for reserves in processes. And the topic of software robots is getting to the fields that are related to processes. They have great potential, I think.