A variable is used for anything that varies but is not a "resource". A variable is immediately caused by, or calculated from, other items. e.g. 'sales per week' = 'customers' * 'sales per week per customer'
or
'profit $/month' = 'gross margin $/month' – 'costs $/month'.

To create: Click on the "variable" icon on the toolbar on the left and then on the working area of the desktop.

To rename: Double click on the item on the desktop and enter a new name at the top of the equation tab


To add data: Double-click on the variable to and select the "Graph" tab. Enter your data in the cells (you can also copy this in from a spreadsheet). Note that the graph scale may need changing so that you can see the graph. In this example the data starts at 100 so the maximum on the y-axis has to be changed from "10" (the default) "100".

Many things in our world fill and drain over time – water in a lake, cash in your bank account, rabbits in a field, electric charge in a battery. The more general term for such an item is a 'stock'. In business, these things are best named 'resources' – things you have access to that are useful for making other things happen, like making profit or delivering service.

Examples of resources are customers, staff, products, cash, reputation, morale. For business, any item on the balance sheet has the characteristics of a resource. In mystrategy® resources are depicted as "tanks".

The crucial feature of a resource, or stock, is that its value is always, precisely the sum of every amount that ever flowed into the stock, minus every amount that ever flowed out. E.g. your bank balance is exactly the sum of everything ever paid in, minus everything ever paid out – your staff-number today is the sum of everyone you ever hired, minus everyone who ever left – your product range is every product you ever launched, minus every product you ever discontinued.

Each resource-stock must contain some initial value as the simulation starts (even if that value is zero). Double-click the resource-stock to enter or change this initial value.

Comparative graphs allow plots to be made on the same graph for several elements or to compare results for different runs of the model for selected elements.

Adding and configuring a comparative graph

• Click on the Graph button on the side toolbar, then click the left mouse button on the drawing area to position the graph. A square will be shown on the drawing area. This can be resized by dragging on the sizing handles on the corners or sides when it is selected.
• Initially the graph box will be empty. This is because no elements are associated with the graph yet.
• To set the graph up, double-click on it graph to bring up the Comparative Graph Set-Up dialog.
• From here you can Add, Delete or Edit elements.
• Use the Clear Histories button to remove all historical data that is stored with the graph.
• Select whether or not the legend is displayed using the check box.

See the mystrategy ® help file for more detailed information.