Supply Chain Simulation Methods Analysis: An Application to the Beer Game

The Beer Game has a typical supply chain structure that permits exploring a variety of supply management concepts. Many modelling methods have been used for supply chain analysis and so they can be applied to the Beer Game specific case study. Among them, discrete-event systems simulation has deserved special attention due to its suitability for modelling dynamic systems with a high degree of detailed elaboration and stochastic factors. For this reason, several discrete-event simulation oriented models have been elaborated to tackle the Beer Game and, by extension, multi-echelon supply chains. In the present paper, four of these models are described. Some of their applicability characteristics are also outlined, so a further discussion of their suitability according to simulation purposes can be done. Conclusions extracted from this analysis are presented in this work, aiming to help on choosing the most suitable model according to end user’s preferences and purposes