Teaching Supply Chain Management Complexities: A SCOR Model Based Classroom Simulation

Abstract

The SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference) Model Supply Chain Classroom Simulation is an in-class experiential learning activity that helps students develop a holistic understanding of the processes and challenges of supply chain management. The simulation has broader learning objectives than other supply chain related activities such as the Beer Game. Competing supply chains work to produce and sell two products, each experiencing differential demand. Seasonal demand, time delays, quality defects, and disruptions offer complexities that are part of actual supply chain management. The behavioral dynamics of collaboration between various functional nodes is illustrated through students' interactions as they try to achieve their role's objectives. Through their decisions and actions, students develop a practical understanding of the processes and complexities of supply chain management. The classroom simulation actively engages students, and has been used successfully in multiple courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels at multiple universities and by a major corporation during a manager training session. Assessments indicate that the simulation is an effective experiential learning activity. While it offers learning outcome flexibility, common debrief themes are SCOR model processes, supply chain relationships, information flow, seasonal demand, quality defects, reverse logistics, and supply chain disruptions.

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Student Peer Evaluated Line Balancing Competition

“…Although there are many reasons why a professor might prefer to stick with a pure lecture format (Smith and Van Doren 2004), the benefits of experiential learning techniques within business education are extensively published (Daly 2001, Cotner et al 2004, Paul and Mukhopadhyay 2004, Williams and Chinn 2009, Webb et al 2014. McCarthy and McCarthy (2006) contend that although the case study teaching approach is very popular in business education, experiential learning techniques provide superior learning, and the authors even go so far as to advocate that experiential learning programs be mandatory in the major areas of a business curriculum.…”

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