The Beergame in Business-to-Business eCommerce Courses – A Teaching Report

In this teaching report I demonstrate the use of the so-called beer distribution game in teaching business-to-business eCommerce courses. The beergame is a role-play supply chain simulation game that lets students experience typical coordination problems of (traditional) supply chains without information sharing and collaboration. With this paper I want to show how the beergame can be used to provide students with a more profound understanding of the reasons why eCommerce technologies are used in contemporary supply chains; I also want to share my experiences and beergame materials with other information systems scholars in the field. To this end, I will introduce the beergame, demonstrate its use in a classroom setting, and show how I embed the game in a typical B2B eCommerce syllabus

A Distributed Retail Beer Game for Decision Support System

AbstractA beer game is a simulation tool for the study of Supply Chain Management (SCM) issues used by the students of MIT. It has been augmented over the time to make it industry ready for decision making and risk management. Apart from smooth information and material flow among the distributed partners excess inventory is still an issue to control. In this paper, an attempt is made to improvise the Beer Game model to a Petri Net model for risk analysis and decision making. A successful simulation of the Petri Net model on efficient redistribution of stock towards inventory management is presented in this paper. The paper also establishes that the analysis is done in polynomial time

Decision making in supply chains and value networks: the beer game evolution.

New trends in inter-organization configurations are challenging the traditional concept of supply chain. Concepts such as Virtual Enterprise were introduced to describe scenarios in which manufacturers operate as nodes within a network of suppliers, customers, engineers, and other specialized service functions. Our aim is to build a simulation tool based on the rules of the Beer Game that includes the variables of a virtual enterprise, VirtuE in particular, and risk management in order to understand the strategies underlying the subject\u2019s behavior in the face of risk within a means-end chain. The simulation tool will contribute to understanding the complexity of managing decision making in supply chains and networks. This study presents the tests carried out on the original game, the new variables introduced, and the simulation results

The First 25 Years of the Bled eConference: Themes and Impacts

The Bled eConference is the longest-running themed conference associated with the Information Systems discipline. The focus throughout its first quarter-century has been the application of electronic tools, migrating progressively from Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) via Inter-Organisational Systems (IOS) and eCommerce to encompass all aspects of the use of networking facilities in industry and government, and more recently by individuals, groups and society as a whole. This paper reports on an examination of the conference titles and of the titles and abstracts of the 773 refereed papers published in the Proceedings since 1995. This identified a long and strong focus on categories of electronic business and corporate perspectives, which has broadened in recent years to encompass the democratic, the social and the personal. The conference\u27s extend well beyond the papers and their thousands of citations and tens of thousands of downloads. Other impacts have included innovative forms of support for the development of large numbers of graduate students, and the many international research collaborations that have been conceived and developed in a beautiful lake-side setting in Slovenia

Pegasus : uma ferramenta de simulação para apoio ao design de jogos de progressão

The video game industry has shown great growth and the numbers show that it continues to expand. Simultaneously, the popularization of smartphones contributes to the growing inclusion of games in daily life. The process of building a game consists of a series of steps, the design being one of the initial stages. The game designer has the challenge of carrying the idea of his mind to the game in a satisfactory way. However, there are not many specialized tools to support this work. This thesis proposes an environment to support the design of games with progression structure, through a simulation tool. The proposal describes the interaction of the game designer with the simulator so that it can assist in the process of creating, testing and refining game elements before proceeding to the programming stage. To fulfill this purpose Pegasus progression game simulator was built, based on patterns for software development and patterns for game design. This thesis presents its architecture, operation and the experience using the tool to support the design of some games of different types. Finally, the conclusions and possibilities of tool expansion are exposed.A indústria de jogos tem apresentado grande crescimento e os números demonstram que ela continua a se expandir. Simultaneamente, a popularização dos smartphones contribui com a crescente inclusão de jogos no cotidiano. O processo de construção de um jogo é composto de uma série de etapas, sendo o design uma das etapas iniciais. O designer de jogo tem como desafio transportar a ideia de sua mente para o jogo de maneira satisfatória. Entretanto, não existem muitas ferramentas especializadas que auxiliem esse trabalho. Nessa tese é proposto um ambiente para apoiar o design de jogos com estrutura de progressão, por meio de uma ferramenta de simulação. A proposta descreve a interação do designer de jogo com o simulador para que este possa auxiliar no processo de criação, teste e aperfeiçoamento dos elementos de jogo antes de prosseguir para a etapa de programação. Para cumprir esse propósito foi construído o simulador de jogos de progressão Pegasus, baseado em padrões de desenvolvimento de software e padrões para design de jogos. São apresentados sua arquitetura, funcionamento e a experiência de utilização para apoiar o design de alguns tipos de jogos. Por fim, são expostas as conclusões e possibilidades de expansão da ferramenta

Simulation Games - Learning - Transfer of Learning. A individual-related analysis of influencing factors.

Seit über drei Jahrhunderten werden Planspiele entwickelt, um Menschen zu ermöglichen, in einer realitätsnahen Umgebung zu lernen. Es steht außer Frage, dass Planspiele oder planspielähnliche Methoden heute in nahezu allen großen Unternehmen und Hochschulen in Deutschland zum Einsatz kommen. Obwohl der Einsatz der Planspielmethode meist eine nachhaltige Veränderung bei den Teilnehmenden und in deren zukünftigem Wissen und Handeln bewirken soll, wurde die Frage des Lerntransfers im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs bislang kaum beleuchtet. Die vorliegende Arbeit widmet sich dieser Lücke. In der interviewbasierten, qualitativen Studie wird der Einsatz der Planspielmethode als Lernumgebung untersucht. Analysiert werden die Lernprozesse während einer Planspielteilnahme sowie zwei verschiedene Lerntransferprozesse – der Transfer von Gelerntem in den Kontext des Planspiels und von dort in den Alltag des Subjekts. Im Fokus steht die Identifikation von Einflussfaktoren auf diese Prozesse, die aus subjektiver Perspektive als förderlich oder hinderlich erachtet werden. Die Ergebnisse bieten eine empirisch fundierte Basis, um zukünftige Planspielseminare aus didaktischer und methodischer Perspektive lerntransferförderlich zu optimieren.Simulation games have been developed for more than 300 years to enable people to learn in environment close to reality. Simulation games and similar methods are used in almost all big companies and universities in Germany. Although the use of such games should effect a lasting change of the participants and their knowledge and acting, the question of transfer of learning has not been discussed in science in a deep way. This papers faces this duty. With this qualitative research project based on interviews simulation games get studied as learning environment. The learning processes in between a simulation game and two processes of transfer of learning get analysed - the transfer of learning into the context of the game and the one from this context to the every day life of the participants. Positive and negative influences on those processes out of the perspective of the single participant will be focused on. The findings offer an empirically well-grounded basis to improve the transfer of learning of seminars using simulation games in a didactical and methodogical way

SCMdesign - desenvolvimento de um serious game para a simlulação de gestão da cadeia de suprimentos

Orientador: Prof. Dr. André Luiz BattaiolaCo-orientador: Prof. Dr. Kleber Roberto PuchaskiAcompanha 2 DVDs, v.1 e v.2Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Artes, Comunicação e Design, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Design. Defesa: Curitiba, 25/02/2014Inclui referênciasÁrea de concentração : DesignResumo: Esta pesquisa possuiu como objetivo principal desenvolver e aplicar um Roleplaying Game que simule situações qualitativas relacionadas à Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos para profissionais desta área do conhecimento. O sistema de jogo desenvolvido prioriza questões comportamentais e de relacionamento interpessoal. O método de pesquisa consistiu inicialmente na realização de levantamento bibliográfico nas áreas de Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos, Design Thinking e Design de Jogos, bem como o levantamento de soluções existentes em Serious Games e Jogos de Tabuleiro desenvolvidos tanto para fins acadêmicos como para entretenimento, e a realização de entrevistas com profissionais atuantes em atividades relacionadas a Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos. Baseado nos resultados destas pesquisas, constatou-se que os jogos existentes que abordam temáticas de Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos são, essencialmente, competitivos e de abordagem quantitativa. Assim, desenvolveu-se um protótipo do sistema de Roleplaying Game, abrangendo os seguintes elementos: componentes, ambiente, regras, mecânicas, temática, informações, interface, jogadores e contexto. Também, uma narrativa a ser aplicada com o sistema de jogo foi desenvolvida com base em um estudo de caso aplicado em ambiente acadêmico, bem como em informações obtidas com entrevistas realizadas a profissionais atuantes na área de Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos. O protótipo do sistema de jogo, juntamente com a narrativa desenvolvida, foi aplicado em cinco testes com usuários, sendo três realizados com alunos de graduação e pós-graduação em instituições de ensino, e dois realizados com profissionais atuantes em organizações dos setores industrial e de serviços. Com base nos resultados obtidos nos testes, melhorias contínuas foram efetuadas no sistema de jogo desenvolvido e na narrativa, com a obtenção de versões aperfeiçoadas. A pesquisa conclui com recomendações e possibilidades de abordagem para futuros trabalhos, como o desenvolvimento de versões do sistema de jogo em software, e possíveis adaptações deste para outras áreas do conhecimento, como Marketing, Tecnologia da Informação, Comportamento Organizacional, dentre outras.Abstract: This research had as main objective to develop and implement a qualitative Roleplaying Game that simulates situations related to Supply Chain Management for professionals in this área. The game system prioritizes organizational behavior and interpersonal relationship issues. The research method consisted initially of bibliographic research in the areas of Supply Chain Managemt, Design Thinking and Game Design, as well as existing solutions in Serious Games and Board Games developed both for academic purposes and for entertainment, and interviews with professionals working in activities related to Supply Management. Based on the results of this research, it was found that existing Supply Chain Management games had, essentialy, competitive and quantitative approach. So, a prototype of the Roleplaying Game system was developed, with the following elements: components, environment, ruleset, game mechanics, theme, interface, information, players and contexts. Also, a narrative to be applied with the game system was developed, based on a case study implemented in the academic environment, as well as information obtained from interviews with Supply Chain Management professionals. The prototype of the game system, along with the narrative developed, was applied in five tests with users, three conducted with graduate and post -graduate students in educational institutions , and two conducted with professionals working in service and industrial organizations. Based on the results obtained in the tests, continuous improvements were made to the game system developed, as well as to the narrative, to obtain improved versions of the game. The research concludes with recommendations and possible approaches for future work, as the development of software versions of the game system, and possible adaptations to other knowledge areas, such as Marketing, Information Technology, Organizational Behavior, among others