REPLY Beer Game Simulation Model (SD6059)

[Ford David dford civil.tamu.edu]

Posted by  "Ford, David" <dford at civil.tamu.edu>
All,

In the course I teach I have the students build the Distribution Game
model after they play it...first conceptually...then the processes only
for one sector...then they add the management using 2 of Sterman's three
inputs to the ordering decision...then add a 3rd order delay to
substitute for the upstream sectors. If done correctly, when the
students input the order stream used in the tabletop version they get
the same behavior modes and the three important characteristics that
they saw in the time series plots of tabletop experience that we post on
the walls for the debrief. Performance improves when the supply line is
used in ordering, which we discussed in the debrief, and I ask them to
use to model structure to explain. Closing the circle from their
tabletop experience to building the simulation model to relating that
back to improving the performance of the system they experienced helps
set up the value of SD and gets the students going on building models.
This all happens within the first few weeks of the course. So I suggest
building the model. I have found it to be an excellent way to help
beginning SDers understand what it does and why. 

Dave Ford  


***************************************
David N. Ford, Ph.D., P.E.
Associate Professor
Zachry Department of Civil Engineering
Texas A&M University
College Station, Tx 77843-3136  USA
Posted by  "Ford, David" <dford at civil.tamu.edu>
posting date  Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:59:57 -0600