Building a Supply Chain Game

We learn in different ways. Some learn better by listening. Others through reading and some through watching. I am attention deficit. I struggle to stay focused in visual learning. I learn better through experiential learning. (Insights gained through a set of life experiences.)This has been my struggle throughout my life. I think that I am not alone.

I work in supply chain. As I share insights on supply chain research, I am convinced that it is just "too heady" and complex for most to understand. My intensity for the topic can also be a barrier.

Through a set of rich experiences, I feel fortunate to have formed a deep understanding of supply chain flows. When I try to help supply chain teams and share my insights, I know that the concepts are tough to understand. I have tried auditory, cognitive (reading and case studies) and visual learning techniques with limited success. I believe that there is no substitute for experiential learning. As baby boomers retire in supply chain, we are passing the baton from generation-to-generation. There is a talent shortage in middle management of senior managers and directors. The industry is not ramping talent and skills fast enough.

My goal is to fill this gap. This week, I tested an experiential game that is designed to help employees understand the difference between inside-out and outside-in processes. My belief is there is no substitute for data in the hands of knowledgeable employees. The question is "How to best create knowledge?"

Building a software game to help companies better understand supply chain as a small research analyst company is a major leap. It is risky. We have failed once. Software testing/development requires skills, capital and focus. To make my dream a reality, I reached into my network to find talent. LLamasoft answered my call. With a long history in the successful delivery of supply chain network design and simulation technologies, LLamasoft quickly understood the opportunity and the gaps in the market.

Starting in January the game development is now in its sixth month. We tested the game play yesterday. The morning tests were not successful. As the day progressed, we hammered out the bugs in the simulation and user interface. It is hard work. Over the course of the next six weeks, we will continue this work.

When we turned out the lights in the conference room last night after a fifteen-hour day of testing, a team of eight supply chain pioneers made great progress in achieving this goal. We are not done, but the issues are clearer and the goal is insight. Our learning yesterday? Test. Clarify. Test. Verify/refine. Test. Refine/polish. It is not easy.

We will play the game at the Supply Chain Insights Global Summit on September 5th-8th in Greensboro, GA and then use the game to help train supply chain teams around the world. We will freeze software code and the simulation logic at the first of August.

I strongly believe that experiential learning is a more impactful way to attack the talent skills gap that exists today. I want to help supply chain teams to learn faster together to drive better business results. While there are other games in the market, most are paper-based. The use of discrete-event simulation enables teams to visualize supply chains (a complex topic) to fast-track learning. As I turn out my light tonight, I give thanks for a good partner. We worked hard today as a joint Supply Chain Insights/LLamasoft team. The end is in sight.

This is part of my commitment to help supply chain leaders build more effective teams. I will keep you posted.