Using a Socratic Game to Introduce Basic Line Design and Planning and Control Concepts

摘要

Line design and production planning and control concepts are difficult to explain to students who have not worked in or even visited a manufacturing facility. Additionally, many undergraduate and MBA students have a difficult time understanding the complexities of operations performance measurements. With little to no background in manufacturing, the concepts are of little interest and are difficult for students to understand. It is almost impossible to explain the interactions between the planning and control systems and the operations measures. Line design and planning and control systems are two areas where Socratic games are useful in conveying manufacturing concepts. This hands-on experience allows the students to learn through discovery―finding the answer for themselves rather than simply being told what to do. The purpose of this paper is twofold. We provide a simple process, a six-station line. First, we use this line to illustrate the problems of process design- balanced lines in the presence of statistical fluctuations and dependent events. Second, we use this line to compare and contrast the traditional, kanban, and drum-buffer-rope methods of planning and control. Both topic areas are new to students, and, therefore, the concepts may seem abstract. Games designed to illustrate these concepts can clarify student understanding.