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Once sufficient information has been compiled to define the basic system operation, the model building activity can begin. While starting to build a model too early can be a wasted exercise, waiting until all of the information is completely gathered and validated may unnecessarily postpone the building of the model. Getting the model started before the data is completely gathered may even help identify missing information needed to proceed.
The goal of model building is to provide a valid representation of the defined system operation. Additionally, the model must be able to provide any other statistical or graphical representation needed to satisfy the objectives of the study. A model is neither true nor false, but rather useful or not useful. Once validated, a model is useful when it provides the needed information to meet the objectives of the simulation.