In this paper we explore computing max-plus algebra operations and discrete event simulations on parallel hierarchal heterogeneous platforms. When performing such tasks on heterogeneous platforms parameters such as the total volume of communication and the top-level data partitioning strategy must be carefully taken into account. Choice of the partitioning strategy is shown to greatly affect the overall performance of these applications due to different volumes of inter-partition communication that various strategies impart on these operations. One partitioning strategy in particular is shown to reduce the execution times of these operations more than other, more traditional strategies. The main goal of this paper is to present benefits waiting to be exploited by the use of max-plus algebra operations on these platforms and thus speeding up more complex and quite common computational topic areas such as discrete event simulation.