Advanced Model - What changes and how to get started

Until now, our Beer Game simulations only allowed :

• One client and one supplier per role, leading to "linear" supply chain designs.
• Only one product type (= one SKU) shared by all

To unlock more learning opportunities, we have worked on a new data model. This allows new possibilities, such as:

Multiple Clients

Receive demand and ship units to multiple clients.

In case the overall demand exceeds the available stock+receipt, you will need to allocate your limited quantities, before the game can go to the next week.

Multiple Suppliers

Order from multiple supply sources. The player will need to validate a quantity for all sources (named "capabilities" in the settings), before the game goes to the next week automatically.

Multiple SKUs / Bill of Materials

You can now setup multiple products, and manage stock/orders for them on specific roles.

Moreover, production orders can now optionally consume sub-components. For example, producing 1 unit of beer may require 1 bottle and 2 malts.

To be able to start a production, you need to have enough components either in stock or in delivery next week.

Multiple consumer demand signals

You can now setup multiple demand patterns, to be applied on different roles/SKUs. For example having Retailer 1 and Retailer 2 with different Beer promotion schedules.

Notes

• All the previous ("linear") scenarios, including the standard Beer Game, can also be created using the advanced model, without any negative impact on the player experience. Despite a more detailed game data, we ensured no complexity is added to the player interface when there is no need for it.
• As of today, the debriefing reports/charts keep the same granularity as before - so for a single role, the charts combine the data for all SKUs/clients/suppliers. But we will be looking to give more granularity in the reports if needed.

How to Get Started

Activate the new model by clicking on the link below:

https://play.zensimu.com/dashboard/sessions?startTrial=bgadvancedmodel

As part of our beta, you can start from one of the 3 templates with the "advanced model" label.

See below a description of the 3 templates:

1. Multi-clients and Bill of Materials:
   • Here we advise playing the manufacturer,
   • Two retailers order from a single factory, to simulate the "allocation" mechanism if stock is missing. The demand pattern is not the same for both: a promo happens on week 3 for retailer 1, and another promo happens on week 6 for retailer 2.
   • Producing Beer at the factory requires ordering bottles and malt from suppliers. This adds more lead time and decision-makings for the manufacturer.
   • The stock cost for the malt/bottles are lower than the one for the Beer, so the manufacturer may decide to keep extra stock on the raw materials.
2. Multi-suppliers:
   • Here we advise playing the retailer,
   • A single retailer orders stock from 3 factories. Some disruptions will happen at different moments on each of them: quality problem, reduced capacity. This creates uncertainty for the retailer on the best supply source to be chosen.
3. Default Beer Game (Advanced model):
   • For testing purposes, this template reproduces the standard Beer Game model/rules, but uses the advanced model engine.

Each of these templates can be played with or without information sharing ("transparent mode").

Create your own scenarios

For this upgrade, the data model of the games was significantly modified. See below how this impacts the configuration of your game rounds:

General Settings

In the "General" section of the settings, you can now setup multiples products. Each product requires a name and an emoji visual.

Roles Settings

This is where most of the changes are present. The various parameters are now saved under product data and capability entries, to be setup for each role.

• Product (master) data: settings for each SKU on the role. Includes: stock, stock/backorder costs, sale price, capacity constraint..
• Capabilities: represents the different ways a SKU can be obtained for a role. Includes: lead time, lead time variability, purchase/production costs, batch size, MOQ..

See below an example when editing a role:

Note that a role can have multiple capabilities for the same product, for example ordering Beer from 3 different suppliers.

Final Consumer Demand

You can now setup multiple demand patterns, each will be applied on a specific role/SKU. For example, you can setup different Beer demand profiles to be applied on Retailer 1 and Retailer 2.

Messages and Events

Scheduling events was also updated to work with the new model.

You will still be able to plan disruptions, that the players will need to face. For example a capacity constraint (maximum shipment quantity), a quality issue leading to reduced stock, an increased lead time, etc.

You can choose to schedule different types of events:

• Simple message, for example to announce a promotion,
• Update General setting: transparent mode, pause the game,
• Update Role setting: concerns all the parameters available in the "Product Data" or "Capabilities" of one/several roles. For example updating lead time, MOQ, stock..
• Add product data: a new product to be managed by one/several roles (note the product needs to be declared in the "general" section first),
• Add capability: a new supply source for one/several roles - you need to make sure the corresponding product data is also setup on the concerned role(s) when the capability is added.
• Remove product / Remove capability: to be used with precaution, because the ongoing orders will not be deleted automatically.

For some parameters, you can now also decide to make the change relative to the current value. For example (see picture below), you can decrease the stock by an amount of X.