At the Process Simulation Working Group meeting in October 2025, INOSIM took the opportunity to present the prototype of our new chatbot (SIMOn). This digital assistant is designed to support users during modeling and simulation, for example by answering typical questions about objects or VBA programming. In the future, SIMOn will also provide instructions for operating INOSIM and for the model currently being worked on.
To fulfill these demanding tasks, the prototype uses the AI technology Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): The Large Language Model behind the chatbot is provided with information from an external data source. This approach allows for cost-effective integration of specific and current information and does not require the model to be “re-trained”.
As a knowledge base for INOSIM, our chatbot prototype uses both the comprehensive INOSIM user manual and the documentation for the scripting engine, which includes hundreds of Controls, Constants, Events, Objects, Methods, and Properties.
With the help of the user manual, Large Language Models can generate working VBA code.
To make the knowledge contained in it accessible to the AI, our user manual was converted into machine-readable text and divided into individual structured data (Markdown). Even without this knowledge, many Large Language Models are able to generate VBA code, but they cannot take into account simulation specifics, as shown in the following figure.
Here, the PDF upload function of an online-available Large Language Model was used. Without preparation, the model only provides very general descriptions (left) and does not use the correct syntax (see right).
In practice with INOSIM modeling, the true value usually comes less from manuals and more from the application of expert knowledge, e.g. in the form of VBA libraries or documentation of the process to be simulated. To ensure that company data never leaves the organization’s control, our development goal is to keep the chatbot interface open for the frequently existing AI/chatbots.
In addition to the static data in the manual, the SIMOn chatbot prototype is also intended to provide insights into the INOSIM simulation model. Current developments focus on expanding the context to include knowledge about the current model (e.g., about its recipes, partial installations, and existing VBA code).
Although SIMOn is currently still being developed as a prototype, we at INOSIM see great potential in it to specifically support users in their everyday modeling and simulation work. Our focus is on further developing SIMOn so that the assistant provides added value exactly where it is really needed in daily business.
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