Beat the Bullwhip
A supplier ships raw material to a plant. The plant makes product and trucks it to a big-box store. For nine days the store sells three times its usual amount. By the time the orders reach the plant, the rush has grown into a bigger wave, and the plant falls behind. That's the bullwhip.
You get one move. ReliaSim runs the supply chain for 200 days and scores the on-time fill rate: how much of what the store ordered arrived within the 5-day lead time. The obvious move isn't always the best one.
How it runs today: the baseline
Make one change
Pick one setting and a new value. Everything else stays as it is.
Keep the store stocked: a move that lets its shelf run empty doesn't count.
Change how orders flow
How each stop forecasts, how much it orders, how it ships.
Hold more stock
Safety stock and starting stock. Stock costs money to hold.
Running 200 days
Day 0 of 200
On-time fill rate with your move
Same move, a different rush
Practice only: these runs don't go on the board.
Put your name on the board
The board shows your first name, last initial and company. Signing the board unlocks Round 2: how three schools of thought would calm this supply chain.
Round 2: ask the experts
Three schools of thought, three different first moves. Pick one and play it their way.
Lean manufacturing
Big orders hide what the customer really bought. Make and move only what was used.
Change how orders flow: order smaller amounts, more often.
Inventory planning
Stock protects service. Put it where the orders go unfilled.
Hold more stock: add safety stock where the shortage hits.
Demand planning
A forecast that overreacts to a rush passes the panic up the chain. Calm the forecast, calm the chain.
Change how orders flow: change how the store forecasts.