https://beergame.opexanalytics.com/#/

How to Play

• Click on "Go to game" and enter your information (name, email, "academia") and select "play game"
• Click through the intro to learn how to play the game
  • 4 players - manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, retailers
  • Information comes to you through shipments and orders, you determine how much you wish to order for your part of the supply chain
  • Goal is to minimize total cost - (sum of back order and inventory cost)
• Click "Set up Game."
  • I would initially recommend accepting the default settings, but you can play the game several times and change settings later; the default is that you are the wholesaler
• Play the game by placing orders for 20 periods of play.
• At the end, look at the Game Reports
• • Total Supply Chain Costs
  • Bullwhip Effect Index
  • Inventory Level vs Time
  • Cumulative Cost vs Time
  • Order Quantity vs Time
  • Fill Rate vs Time
  • Bullwhip Effect Index vs Time

Question 1 Please explain the beer game in your own words. What is the objective?

Question 2

How would you describe sharing information in the beer game? Please describe how improved communication could improve the supply chain.

Question 3 What is the bullwhip effect in your own words? How do you overcome the bullwhip effect in supply chain?

Question 4

How did you perform in the beer game? How did you compare to the computerized players?

Question 5

Play the game again. Did you supply chain performance improve?

-If yet, what do you think you did to make improvements.

-If no, what would you do different next time?

Question 6 How does the time lag impact your decisions?