In contrast to the old methods of scenario management (editing or copying data), automated scenario management using inheritance gives you significant advantages:

• A single model file makes it possible to generate an unlimited number of What If? conditions without becoming overwhelmed with numerous modeling files and separate results.
• Because the software maintains the data for all the scenarios in a single model, it can provide you with powerful automated tools for directly comparing scenario results. Any set of results is immediately available at any time.
• The Scenario / Alternative relationship empowers you to mix and match groups of data from existing scenarios without having to re-declare any data.
• With inheritance, you do not have to re-enter data if it remains unchanged in a new alternative or scenario, avoiding redundant copies of the same data. Inheritance also enables you to correct a data input error in a parent scenario and automatically update the corrected attribute in all child scenarios.

These advantages, while obvious, may not seem compelling for small projects. It is as projects grow to hundreds or thousands of network elements that the advantages of true scenario inheritance become clear. On a large model, being able to maintain a collection of base and modified alternatives accurately and efficiently can be the difference between evaluating optional improvements and being forced to ignore them.

To learn more about actually using scenario management in our software, start by running the scenario management tutorial from the Help menu or from within the scenario manager itself. Then load one of the SAMPLE projects and explore the scenarios defined there. For context-sensitive help, press F1 or the Help button any time there is a screen or field that puzzles you.