040162 UK Special Topics in Production/Logistics/SCM: Business Game to Production Management (2021S)

AIMS

This course aims to further deepen and extend knowledge that was gained in the module “ABWL: Produktion und Logistik”. It addresses selected topics from transportation logistics (e.g., supplier selection based on, among other things, a supplier’s location), production management (e.g., Key Performance Indicators), and supply chain management (e.g., optimization of cross-department flows of resources). This course is part of the Alternatives Pflichtmodul “Produktion, Logistik und SCM” and Wahlfach “Wirtschaftsinformatik”. A software-based business game called “The Fresh Connection” is used, aiming to give participants a real-life supply chain experience within a simulated environment. This enables students to “playfully” apply their knowledge, hence broadening their subject-specific competences. Moreover, students are challenged to expand their problem-solving and decision-making skills as well as their cooperative skills (social skills), hence growing their interdisciplinary competences. After successfully completing this course, students
… gain specialized knowledge in production control systems and can recall and apply a wide range of production control methods correctly.
… are introduced to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) specific to production management on an operative and strategic level. They can interpret provided KPIs adequately and they can autonomously derive KPIs from raw data.
… are challenged with multi-layered production-planning problems. They can recognize interrelated cause-and-effect relationships, contrive solution approaches, and implement corrective measures. Moreover, they can condense their analysis into concise business reports.
… improve their teamwork skills as the business game is played in teams of four. They coordinate their decisions and review potential outcomes as they understand cross-department trade-off relations within a simulated production facility.
… are incentivized to think outside the box and autonomously organize their work. They can face complex production-planning problems and conquer them by stretching the possibilities afforded by a restricted toolset.

CONTENTS

In “The Fresh Connection” participants run a virtual company that produces orange juice. Students work in teams of four representing a corporate entity. Each student takes up a role as either the head of the purchasing, sales, operations, or supply chain department. Throughout the game, the students are making strategic and tactical decisions in their department. It is of utmost importance for the department heads to cooperate by aligning their local decisions such that they adhere to the chosen global business strategy. The students learn from analyzing/observing the simulated outcomes of their decisions. Particular emphasis is put on topics such as management of perishable goods, supply chain reliability, risk management, transportation planning, batch and frequency management, external collaboration, and operations planning.

METHODS

“The Fresh Connection” can be accessed through any internet browser. Six rounds of the game are played throughout the semester. Before every round, the lecturer theoretically introduces the topics that will be addressed in the game using lecture slides. They explain the upcoming round and discuss the newly unlocked decisions. The students play the game outside class hours. Using excel spreadsheets, they document their analyses done while playing the game and summarize it in form of department reports. After every round, each team discusses the decisions taken and their effects with the lecturer during so-called personal debriefing sessions. Additionally, homework assignments are posted that investigate different aspects of the game. To ensure that the students explore the business game collaboratively, the homework assignments are designed as a group exercise. Finally, the lecturer provides continuous feedback in written form and in-person to each student individually.