"Lean manufacturing" team game

Lean Manufacturing

Hi Ian

MTA International have one that consists of a small box of plastic components and full course notes to facilitate various aspects of Lean Manufacturing.

I think its about £500ish

Best regards

Steve

Website

http://www.mta-international.com/view-package.php?package=mta-pass

When I saw it demonstrated it was a manufacturing exercise so probably best to speak to them as it's not on the website?

MIT's Beer Game

Hi

You may want to look at the Beer Game from MIT. This is directed more at supply chain management than lean manufacturing but is really a great teaching tool. I see they now have an online version of it.

In summary there are 4 groups representing different members of a typical retailing supply chain - raw material producer, manufacturer, distributor & retailer. Thus you would set up two (or more) supply chains with 4 teams in each supply chain. However, the trick is NOT to tell the groups that they are competing - one supply chain against the other - but rather that they are in competition against each other to keep inventory and thus inventory holding costs to a minimum. Equally they are to avoid stock outs and the compensation they will have to give to the customer when there is a stock out.

The learning comes at the end of the game when you give the prize to the best supply chain overall, not to any one member of the supply chain. Suddenly the groups realise they should have been working together to 'beat' the other supply chain - equal to the M&S supply chain competing against the Debenhams supply chain.

Hope this helps

Regards

Ranjit