Abstract for: Getting started with the new (2015) Sysdea online software

Sysdea is a browser-based software, developed with principles to aid fast and reliable models - time-charts directly on every object, and time-series for both actual (or desired) values and simulated values. The first version of Sysdea focused on ease-of-use, so beginners can be building models very fast, and with less chance of errors. The new version has been entirely rebuilt, to add speed and reliability to this ease-of-use, so that more demanding features can be added without compromising power. This workshop explained the benefits of a browser-based solution, and showed this is no longer a 'second-best' to installed applications. (Users with data-security concerns can deploy the software within firewalls). Participants used the basic elements of the software, and some more advanced features - its simple model-sharing (with or without allowing others to copy the model), and how a simple Excel add-in allows non-SD users to run their models. Participants from schools, colleges and Universities saw the simple institutional access, and how this allows them to manage whole classes and programs of students. Finally, the workshop demonstrated some more powerful features to be added in a 'plus' version, such as multiple sub-models, and sensitivity tools, and invited requests for additional features.