Game—Playing Goldratt’s Dice Game in Large Classes

Abstract

We provide and describe an Excel-based simulation of a classic dice game. Instructors can use the simulation in large classes to allow student teams to try to select the best combination of capacity and inventory-improvement options to maximize profit. Instructors generate the results during class in real time. The game also provides excellent debriefing opportunities for further insight. In this paper, we not only present the game itself, but we perform extensive numerical analysis to develop deeper insight regarding the effect of the different options. This analysis provides instructors with tools to modify our original costs to produce different winning combinations and to potentially play the game multiple times to strengthen the managerial insights derived in this illustration of addressing the problem of dependent events and statistical fluctuations in assembly lines. Instructors of analytics or modeling courses could even ask their students to design the basic Monte Carlo simulation model themselves. Survey evidence has shown enthusiastic student endorsement of the game, and pretest/posttest analysis suggests strong learning effects.