SIMULATION METHODS AND EDUCATIONAL GAMES: APPLICATION AREAS FOR LEARNING AND STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING IN MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS

A wide spectre of different t ypes of quantitative models is availa ble to address strategic operations management de cision problems. This paper arg ues that bu siness games are a n alternative to “traditional ” discrete-event and continuous simulation method s for analysing complex supply c hain problems. Business games capture the organizational and human aspects in supply chain problems that are difficult to model with traditional simulation methods. The comput erized version of the Beer Game is an example of the use of business games in sup ply chain decision making. The r ecommendation of business games is based on a simulation application su rvey carried out by the authors and the theoretical approach of Flood and Jackson (1991)