Here's an old Flash game that you can play to see how it works:
Beer distribution game
11–20 of 49 posts
Re: Beer distribution game
#12I’ve never understood how you win the beer distribution game, people only ever talk about the effects on the supply chain it seems. But how do you mitigate?
Basically just keep producing the same amount of product regardless of the amount of demand you're seeing.
If that turns out to be th solution, the game was played based on wrong assumptions. You have to measure inventorylevels as well, the solution is to define, across perticipants, the amount that has to be produced based on customer demand (simulated by the trainer/ facilitator).
Re: Beer distribution game
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Basically just keep producing the same amount of product regardless of the amount of demand you're seeing.
If that turns out to be th solution, the game was played based on wrong assumptions. You have to measure inventorylevels as well, the solution is to define, across perticipants, the amount that has to be produced based on customer demand (simulated by the trainer/ facilitator).
[deleted]
Re: Beer distribution game
#14Even when no communication is allowed during the game, some kind of PID control could make the supply chain stable.
Re: Beer distribution game
#15When I was working at UNC I tried to get us to make the beer game in VR for the business school. You would actually see the empty shelves and then the overstocked warehouse in VR to understand the physical constraints of the supply chain and the issues with the bullwhip effect.
Could easily be updated to the N95 mask game. Especially given what I was reading about melt blown production lines capacity and initial install costs.
Re: Beer distribution game
#16I played this game during orientation when I started my MBA at MIT Sloan (the game was originated at Sloan). In my second year, I facilitated the game. The most eye-opening thing for me was that a good quarter of students were frustrated and surprised by the bullwhip effect. I'd guess the general population would be even less understanding of a bullwhip effect. I think that help explains why it seems so many people d…
Hand sanitizer is a simple product. People could make it at home if you legalized moonshine.
Re: Beer distribution game
#17Even when no communication is allowed during the game, some kind of PID control could make the supply chain stable.
It's funny you should mention that, because most PID configurations are not very stable. Once you introduce the Integral and the Derivative, if you're not careful that PID will oscillate into the stratosphere.
In fact, I'd say that PID's that are functioning most efficiently are very nearly tuned to the point of oscillating. Even worse is the kinds of adjustments you have to make to PID's when there is significant lag between their inputs and outputs.
Re: Beer distribution game
#18When I was working at UNC I tried to get us to make the beer game in VR for the business school. You would actually see the empty shelves and then the overstocked warehouse in VR to understand the physical constraints of the supply chain and the issues with the bullwhip effect. Could easily be updated to the N95 mask game. Especially given what I was reading about melt blown production lines capacity and initial inst…
I adopted it once for aircraft maintenance. Still pen and paper, but the session was hilarious! Especially as I played it with people directly and indirectly involved with aircraft maintenance for the army.
The second round was the real eye opener, so.
Re: Beer distribution game
#19I played this game during orientation when I started my MBA at MIT Sloan (the game was originated at Sloan). In my second year, I facilitated the game. The most eye-opening thing for me was that a good quarter of students were frustrated and surprised by the bullwhip effect. I'd guess the general population would be even less understanding of a bullwhip effect. I think that help explains why it seems so many people d…
This doesn't actually demonstrate that it's difficult, just that it's expensive. If the government is willing to eat any sunk cost from oversupply, everything becomes predictable. In the case of COVID, it's hard to imagine any quantity of hand sanitizer and respirators doing more damage than the harm they prevent.
Re: Beer distribution game
#20I’ve never understood how you win the beer distribution game, people only ever talk about the effects on the supply chain it seems. But how do you mitigate?
The Kobayashi Maru of business school...