Business problem:
Education
Serious games used:
The Beer Game
In the 1960s, professors at the MIT Sloan School Of Management devised a way to illustrate the principles of a supply chain. The result, The Beer Game, is a classic example of a lightweight educational game that any instructor can easily reproduce.
The Beer Game models a multi-tier distribution system, from a beer company to its distributors. The players are trying to keep up with customer demand through careful management of orders and inventory. However, the supply chain inevitably breaks down, alternating between periods of surplus and scarcity. In this fashion, students learn the difficulties of supply chain distribution, through the most direct experience possible in a classroom.
For more information…
Wikipedia overview of The Beer Game
MIT Sloan professor discusses The Beer Game
Site providing instruction and support materials for The Beer Game
