Serious Gaming is used to provide an insight into logistics processes.

So.. Let’s start this game!

You just started your own company.

A company/factory name is chosen… for the next seven weeks you will work together as colleagues.

But where to start?

Every group has its own factory, your competitors. Based on customer orders, every ‘company’ produces towers of different Lego bricks. Your factory only has a few bricks in stock. This means that you have to purchase the bricks you need.

And then? Did you already make a drawing? Which flows are there? What is the next step?

You create a plan for your ‘perfect’ logistics company.

With all the knowledge you have already learned. A plan that will help you to prepare for the final simulation…game day!

Questions to be answered!

• Is your customer satisfied with all the orders?
• Did you deliver the right amount on time, and with the right quality?
• Is your production up and running, based on a solid planning?
• Which roles need to be created within your company?
• And what about distribution

What about distribution?

Renting a truck is expensive, so you definitely don’t want it to drive empty. And yet you have to start driving, otherwise you won’t be able to handle your orders properly. Driving an empty truck will get you four penalty points. Driving a loaded truck will set you back only one penalty point. Because after all, the driver will have to be paid and there is the depreciation of your vehicle fleet to be considered. Completing one tower will earn you two points. But towers and bricks have to be transported in different trucks.’

• Did you earn money at the end?
• Is you company successful?

You might think that the prospective students would be dazzled by the amount of information they are presented with, but fortunately, they are used to that!

It’s kind of a real-life game of Stratego.

In the end, it’s all about choosing the right strategy. And that is great fun to watch. There are the do’ers, who drive off with an empty truck straight away. That’s obviously not the way to go, and it gives them penalty points. And there are the thinkers. ‘Is it okay if we work together?’

In order to be successful in this game, you need to know the rules of this game.

Communication is the key!

Effectively organising information flows and logistics processes is what it’s all about.
‘Hey, a co-driver is walking along over there.

It’s always convenient to have someone next to you reminding you what needs to be done, because communication is very important in logistics.

‘Do you really have to build according to the instructions, and nothing else?’ ‘Oh, sure you can, it’s just that the customer didn’t ask for it!’

Pros and cons are being weighed – should we turn left or should we turn right? Waiting for someone else to bring some bricks to you is also an option. The group which was so intent on working together has changed its strategy, coaxing the others to come to them and sneakily not giving back any bricks. ‘Your propaedeutic certificate will be in your pocket before you know it, congratulations guys!’

But it is precisely this working together that is so important. And that is something you will learn all about here in the propaedeutic phase. ‘As a matter of fact, you will do everything together. Well, except for your work placement.

Good luck!