Applies to:
@RISK Industrial Edition 6.x and Up
Evolver 6.x and Up

@RISK Optimizer vs Evolver

Optimizer with Evolver is best when you need to choose the best alternatives, and the effects of your choices are predictable (deterministic optimization)

It's appropriate for models where there is no element of chance or where chance is involved but doesn't have a major effect on the outcome.

You build the likely effects of chance into your model as fixed numbers. 

The traveling salesman problem is a classic example:

• • you know where the customers are
  • you want to plan a route that minimizes travel time.

Evolver will calculate the one best route.

RISKOptimizer, part of @RISK Industrial Edition, does optimization with simulation. (stochastic or probabilistic optimization)

You use it when your model involves choices you must make and chance events that you can't control.

In the traveling salesman example, RISKOptimizer lets you account for not knowing which customers will actually be getting deliveries on a given day.

RISKOptimizer calculates the route that has the best chance of being correct.

 

Related Article:

Running RISKOptimizer Deterministically