Oracle Adversim: Lean Manufacturing Simulation
Advergaming is the practice of using computer games to advertise a product or service. This year, Oracle, through Grey Advertising, commissioned Forio to develop an advertising simulation (adversim) that explains how Oracle's ERP systems and databases can improve Lean Manufacturing.
Like other companies that sell sophisticated products and services, Oracle has traditionally offered white papers through its website as a way to educate potential customers and generate leads. This year Oracle decided to experiment with a more interactive approach through the Lean Manufacturing Simulation.
While advergames have been targeted to consumers, adversims are targeted to businesses. Adversims help managers learn about products and services by allowing managers to experiment with tactics and strategies in an engaging way.
In The Lean Manufacturing Simulation, you are the director of a US-based plant that manufactures hybrid cars. Your manufacturing plant is in trouble. Senior management is concerned about high delivery delays, excessive inventories, unpredictable supplier performance, and a wide variation in production levels.
You've been charged with implementing a Lean Manufacturing program with an objective of resolving these concerns. You have eight months to fix the problems at your plant.
You can schedule production with either a Push system based on long-term forecasts or a Pull system in which you change production month by month. You will be scored on how well you provide reliable deliveries to customers, keep inventories low, and maintain level production.
Posted by Michael Bean
July 30th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Simulation games are one of the best ways of learning a new process like lean manufacturing. Many studies have demonstrated this. There are a lot of elements to Lean and this type of interaction causes you to really think and understand the process as opposed to conventional learning methods.
October 11th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Simulation is the easiest way for most people to learn. Learning Lean Manufacturing through simulation is an excellent way for anyone to remember the various tools. There are simply too many tools to grasp it all through reading.
November 15th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I believe this concept will help reach the core team and beyond rather than the traditional ones where only the team leads will be fully exposed and updated and others has to just follow.
Ultimately this will create ownership among individuals and help sustain the system.
November 17th, 2007 at 9:31 am
I have always been a fan of simulation from my post graduate days. This is an excellent concept and marketing tool. Simulation practicioners now have a novel way of marketing themselves