Global Supply Chain Simulation Development

The primary challenge in developing this simulation was modernization: the simulation was originally developed by Enspire Learning and built using Flash technology in the early 2000’s. Professor Janice Hammond and Harvard Business School Publishing wanted to refresh the content, design, and technology while keeping the same feel and user experience. Our design and development teams were able to deliver, taking the original experience and reimagining it for tomorrow’s business students with an updated design and modern web technologies.

Organizations of all kinds are faced with difficult supply chain decisions. In this Harvard global supply chain management simulation, students must design the product line, forecast demand, choose a set of suppliers (each of which has different costs, lead-times, and capacities), and allocate production among their suppliers. Students then observe actual demand, and have opportunities to respond to demand shifts and unexpected events over the course of four simulated years.

Students are scored both on their cumulative results, reflected in their profits, and on their process choices, reflected by the support of board members with specific expertise and perspectives. Ultimately, students must balance competing priorities and create a flexible supply chain to react quickly to fluctuating demand.