SD Board Management Games

["Ing. Fabian H. Szulanski "]

Dear Net Companions,

What are, in your opinion, the best SD board games available to the
public ?
I only know of Beer Game, Fishbanks Ltd., and Strategem.
Do you know more board games (supported by a SD simulation) that you
consider are the best for Management Training ?
Please include data about the authors (E-mail, phone, etc)
Best Regards,

Fabian.
---
Ing. Fabian H. Szulanski
simul@simul.recom.edu.ar

["John Nunes"]

Fabian,

I work at National Semiconductor and we have used the PeopleExpress, Boom and
Bust, and Customer Service SD simulations developed by John Sterman and
distributed through MicroWorlds. While these are not board games per se, we
have used these as part of more in-depth workshops to teach concepts in
strategy, product life-cycle management, etc. The feedback we have received
has been great and I would highly recommend them.

Regards,
John Nunes
jdnunes@cirrus.nsc.com

[jsterman@MIT.EDU (John Sterman)]

I appreciate the vote of confidence in the management flight simulators
we have developed including People Express, B&B Enterprises, etc. (see
message from John Nunes).

Once point of clarification: These simulators are also available at
very modest cost directly from my office at MIT. Contact Kelley Donovan
at:
e-mail: kdonovan@mit.edu
phone: 617/253-6694
fax: 617/258-7579
MIT Sloan School of Management
30 Wadsworth Street
Cambridge, MA 02142

John Sterman
jsterman@mit.edu

[Monus@facteur.std.com, Paul@fact]

We have been using the Manufacturing Game (c) extensively within BP and now
have over 600 people who have played. We have found very good results, but
Id caution that the best results come when combined in the context of a
learning laboratory with clear goals, and the ability to take the energy
generated in the game and focus it on real problems that a system dynamics
approach can help with.

I am curious on Fishbanks and Stratagem. I have seen the Fishbanks SD model
and writeup, but dont know anyone who has actually used it. I want to
bring this into BP and the local community here (schools who are also now
becoming interested in SD) and would like to talk to someone who has used it
and knows the ins/outs of how to frame the questions in prologue, and
debrief, how much time is needed for each segment, etc

If you are out there and willing to tell me how to use Fishbanks, drop me an
email and Ill call you.

Lastly, what is strategem? Where can I learn about it?

Paul Monus
BP Oil Lima Refinery
monuspa@olima.usaref.msnet.bp.com

[jsterman@MIT.EDU (John Sterman)]

Regarding Michel Karskys message on the STRATEGEM game:

Michel is referring to STRATAGEM-2, a simulation of the Kondratiev cycle
or long wave I developed in 85 with Dennis Meadows.

I believe the inquiry from Paul Monus about the STRATEGEM game refers to
the original STRATEGEM, a computer-board game hybrid by Dennis Meadows
in which participants manage the economic, environmental, demographic,
and social development of a nation over the long term. The original
STRATEGEM (note the spelling: it differs from the word STRATAGEM) is a
wonderful game, which, like all Dennis games, has been carefully
tested, comes fully documented, is beautifully and professionally
produced, and is in use all around the world as an introduction to
issues of national economic development, environmental issues, and the
linkages among them all. Contact Dennis at <dmeadows@hopper.unh.edu>
for information.

For information on the Strategem-2 game, contact my secretary,
Kelley Donovan
e-mail: kdonovan@mit.edu
phone: 617/253-6694
fax: 617/258-7579
MIT Sloan School of Management
30 Wadsworth Street
Cambridge, MA 02142

Thanks,

John Sterman

[George Richardson]

Karksy must be referring to Strategem II, or the "Long Wave Game."
Strategem I was written by Dennis Meadows and is a computer-based board
game involving five "ministers" managing 50 years in the evolution of a
developing nation. Denniss game takes hours to play and hours to
debrief well -- a good (and very worthwhile!) days work.

...GPR

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George P. Richardson G.P.Richardson@Albany.edu
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy Phone: 518-442-3859
University at Albany - SUNY, Albany, NY 12222 Fax: 518-442-3398
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[kbs-fr@world-net.sct.fr (Michel]

I use Strategem extensively in my numerous teaching sessions (Training for
various groups, Universities, ...). It was written some 10 years ago by John
Sterman at MIT, as a result of some of the findings done during the work on
Forresters National Model.

The game is excellent, based on simple, easy to understand, economics. It
can be played within one and a half to two hours, either by groups of two to
four per computer, or with a single computer and screen projection if the
group is too numerous. The latter method forces even the most timid to
participate. The game is an excellent introduction to the spirit of System
Dynamics, but also to modelling, since immediately after the game, I show
how to model it (the game itself was written is Basic, but there may be a
new version of it).

Michel Karsky

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Michel KARSKY
KNOWLEDGE BASED SIMULATION
287, rue Saint-Jacques 75005 Paris - FRANCE
Tel: (33 1) 43 54 47 96 Fax: (33) 1 44 07 00 59
E-mail:kbs-fr@world-net.sct.fr

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