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A non-interactive direct access computer controlled
simulation in which participants consider the planning of a factory expansion.
The task is to decide the priorities of listed actions connected with the expansion.
Some actions are ‘preliminary’ ones that reveal problems and opportunities
otherwise unseen. The computer releases data in response to participant actions
so that careful forethought allows decisions to be made in good time while unpremeditated
action leads to oversights and delays. The exercise is designed for groups of
1-6 members and one tutor can organise up to three groups. The exercise takes
between two and three hours.
OBJECTIVE
To encourage participants to speculate on the relative importance of different
planning actions and imagine the possible consequences if they are taken too early
or too late. It will:
- emphasise the sequential nature of planning activities
- the need for some actions only becomes apparent once a preliminary action has
been taken;
- help participants to think ahead and visualise
the situations that their actions will create;
- emphasise the financial implications, showing
the importance of completion on schedule as key to the economic success of a project.
HOW IT WORKS
The tutor introduces the participants to the imaginary factory, explains the circumstances
that make expansion necessary and hands out a preliminary list of planning
actions. The participants must choose seven from the list of eighteen provided.
The options selected are entered into the computer which then offers a new list
of planning actions for the next week. The program is written so that
each successive list is influenced by the choices already made. This cycle is
repeated for seven weeks after which the computer prints out a sequence of events
deemed to follow from the actions taken or overlooked. Thus poor planning may
result in plant being delivered before building is finished, or the finished facility
standing idle for lack of trained staff. The financial effect is a delay in the
company’s ability to repay the money it borrowed to finance the work.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS WILL BE DOING
Judging the relative priority of a list of allowed planning actions and entering
the numbers of their choices into a computer in a succession of time periods that
represent one week.
FOR WHAT LEVELS IS IT APPROPRIATE?
All managerial staff interested in planning.
INCLUDED
Tutor manual; Players instructions; Program disc with all supporting material.
COST
90 day license £360 plus Vat and delivery
Full license £760 plus Vat and delivery
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