Home

LEAN Games & Train the Trainer Series

Lean thinking education uses many games, or simulations, to illustrate key principles, which is very much in keeping with the ‘learning by doing’ approach to learning.

Lean Games & Train the Trainer

Lean Simulation Games have been an indispensible aid to learning about Lean ever since the original Hewlett Packard JIT game was videoed in 1983. They are no less useful and effective today.

Since 1983 a host of Lean games have been developed covering a range of topics. These games have been developed by LERC staff over the years and thoroughly tested in a range of short courses and MSc modules. They are invariably the most memorable part of anyra course.

In response to continuing requests for the games LERC has decided to run training days, aimed at ‘training the trainer’ to enable in-house facilitators effectively to run games at their own facilities.

After each ‘Games Day’ participants will go away with the full game (including all game sheets, materials, etc) packed in a good portable suitcase, together with the ability to run the game at their own premises. Training ‘tips’ will be given reflecting LERC staff experience.

Each ‘game day’ is approximately 4 hours.

The Games Days are:

Buckingham Lean Game

This is one of the popular and widely used Lean games. Nearly 1000 copies have been distributed in UK, Europe, South Africa, and Australia. The game is a basic game concerned with waste elimination. Over a number of rounds performance improves dramatically. One of the strong features is focus on the interaction of Lean tools including changeover, small machines, smaller batches, Kanban, layout, line balancing, and 5S. There are three products and uncertain demand.

The game can be adapted in several ways. For example, individual demand or batch demand, and ‘conveyor’ assembly or batch processes such as heat treat. For that reason the game has been adapted to many manufacturing and service environments.

Buckingham Lean Service (Housing) Game

This game was developed specifically for ‘break fix’ service environments such as field repair. There is a ‘front office’ or call centre, and ‘field service’ repair staff. The game has been widely played on service courses run by LERC for local authorities and other public agencies. It has used on the MSc in Lean service operations, and has been purchased by a range of companies. It demonstrates value and failure demand, the office and service wastes and can used to learn service mapping.

The Dice Games

Variation is an important but underplayed element in Lean operations. This series of dice games illustrate many vital principles linked to ‘muda, muri, mura’. Together, the games give an excellent appreciation of many Lean scheduling principles, Theory of Constraints principles, and ‘Laws of Factory Physics’. Each game is short, simple, but powerful.

The games are:

• Queuing (Muda, Muri, Mura)
• Dependent events and statistical fluctuation
• The effect of variation
• Kanban dice
• Flexible resources – meeting the schedule
• Drum Buffer Rope dice game
• CONWIP dice game

Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss lean games.