Lean Business Specialists - Nestadt Consulting

The Supply Chain Logistics Game

Background
Participative games are an excellent and well established as a means of instruction. The game described here was developed for managers, at all levels, who are concerned with Supply Chain Logistics. The game was developed by John Bicheno, and extended at the University of Buckingham, UK, and Cardiff Business School. It has been extensively and successfully used and tested in industrial training settings around the world.

Steel Industry Version
A version has been developed around a steel industry supply chain right across seven processes from steel mill through to final customer. The simulation deals with the key issues of demand variability, inventory and response across the supply chain and allows participants to ?live through and see the benefits of change for themselves. (See attachments)

The Game
The game takes approximately 4 hours, with about 8-10 role-playing participants. The ?players make key decisions affecting performance after each of the 30-minute rounds. The game involves the production and supply of multiple products with high variability demand, and encourages the team to progress from a traditional push big batch, slow response environment, with limited flexibility, to a lean, pull - best practice environment, where techniques such as JIT Cell, Cross Docking, Synchro Manufacture, Quick Response, and their combinations are introduced and tested.

Outcomes
Major benefits include:

Learning of Supply Chain concepts with participants able to take these away and implement them in the business

A real breakthrough in the way people thinks and approach change.

Increased business literacy

Enthusiasm and general understanding / commitment to improvement

Who
People at all levels in the Supply Chain/ Logistics function of an organisation, whether senior management, shopfloor workers, students or people, the workshop is appropriate and even more effective when various functions and organisation levels are mixed.

Purchase the Game, License or have it facilitated
We can run the workshop at your site, as this is generally most convenient. The basic requirement is a room, which can hold a number of small tables (say 4 - 5 tables) and up to 15 people - with space for overhead projectors, etc. We will also organise an external venue if this is required. Some organisations may want to purchase the license, and facilitate the games themselves.

What is included in the workshop?
Half-day facilitation by expert facilitators. There is significant value gained from the expert facilitators. Our facilitators have specialised Supply Chain Management/ training and facilitative skills and will add value to the workshop with their experience and insights.
Download: Click to download pricing information