Picture a room with five individuals, each assigned different roles and targets: Asset Manager Airplanes, Logistics Manager, Manager Repair Shop, Parts Supplier, and Financial Controller. Now, introduce incentives and set the stage. What ensues? Chaos. Airplanes grounded, emergency parts shipments, high inventories, repairables shortages, capacity constraints at suppliers, and more. Last week, during the introduction of our in-house developed service supply chain game to our new colleagues, we witnessed this chaos firsthand. This serious game offers a unique opportunity to delve into the dynamics of service supply chains, observe key players’ behaviour, and understand their motivations. Moreover, it serves as a springboard for optimising real-life service supply chains. However, mastering the game in reality is no simple feat; it demands hard work. Let me share some insights gleaned from our recent gameplay.

Learn the Rules of the Game

Understanding the game’s rules is paramount. What does our installed base entail? Which parts are critical? Who are our suppliers? How is our supply chain network structured? What do our parts supply agreements entail? Without this foundational knowledge, navigating the game becomes impossible. Thus, begin by mastering the basics and then iterate for improvement.

Identify the Ultimate Service Supply Chain Goals

Once the rules are clear, it’s essential to discern the “Why” behind our actions. What is the overarching goal of our service supply chain? Is it uptime optimisation, operational cost reduction, or working capital management? Often, the answer lies in finding a balance among these objectives. Understanding that these ultimate goals should guide every aspect of the service supply chain is crucial. How do we achieve this? Through open communication among all stakeholders.

Align Objectives

Communication lays the groundwork for aligning the objectives of each supply chain component with the overarching goals. Understanding how each link influences the chain’s end outcome fosters a cooperative approach rather than individual optimisation. This alignment enables us to optimise the entire chain, even if it means rethinking traditional practices such as minimum order quantities or lead times.

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Start Optimising

True optimisation hinges on transparency across the entire chain—transparency in demand, costs, constraints, dependencies, and more. During our gameplay session, we discussed various optimisation topics:

  • Should we increase parts inventory?
  • Should we shorten delivery lead times?
  • Should we balance production flow?

These questions likely resonate with your own experiences. Notably, real optimisation emerged from evaluating each option’s chain-wide impact. By collectively agreeing on optimisations, we achieved tangible benefits throughout the chain. Yes, this approach challenges existing rules and objectives at every chain level. However, by recognising the real value of these optimisations, we were able to truly optimise the entire chain, surpassing our competition significantly.

Master the Game

In conclusion, to excel in asset management, we must cease sub-optimising individual service supply chain elements. Instead, we must adopt a holistic approach, understanding the intricacies of the supply chains we operate within. Using a serious game like ours offers a fun yet effective way to gain this understanding. Interested in joining us to play and optimise your service supply chain? Give us a call; we’re eager to assist you in mastering the game.

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