Teamskill

TEAMSKILL was sponsored by Honeywell and Morgan Grampian publishers. It provides in depth involvement in production management - machine purchase, buying, production and inventory control, scheduling etc..

Participants take over a factory. Initially, they decide about replacing machines, layouts and suppliers. Next, they schedule factory operation on a month by month basis. During this time they have to manage fluctuating sales demand, varying production rates, quality, machine breakdowns, staff attitudes and absenteeism, etc. - all the things that make manufacturing management so interesting!

KEY LEARNING

MANUFACTURING OBJECTIVES

Teamskill involves participants in balancing market demand, with production limits at lowest possible cost, highest efficiency and lowest inventory levels. So, participants experience and gain understanding of these conflicting objectives.

INVESTMENT APPRAISAL

Initially, participants must decide whether to replace a machine based on an analysis of costs and expected savings. An analysis that introduces basic methods of investment appraisal.

WORK STUDY & LAYOUT PLANNING

Initially, participants must select, based on work-study considerations, the layout for one machine. For a second unit, participants must decide whether to operate with two or three production lines. A decision that takes into account manning, staffing, investment, product structures and production requirements.

SALES FORECASTING

Initially, participants must produce a forecast for the year for each of several products. As the simulation progresses, they must update these forecasts (taking into account actual demand) and project sales for the next two to three months. This introduces basic sales forecasting approaches and techniques.

MASTER SCHEDULING & MRP

The pattern and mix of sales demand is such that participants must take a long-term view of factory operation. When doing this they must take into account production capabilities and capacities, product structures, varying month lengths and sales seasonality.

INVENTORY PLANNING

With a three-stage production process and six production units, participants must plan raw, in-progress and finished inventory. A plan that ensures inventory is available when needed, takes into account production rates and variation and ensures inventory levels and carrying costs are minimised.

DETAIL SCHEDULING

Each month participants must decide how many of each finished product to produce and ensure, through timely set-ups and raw material deliveries, that materials and assemblies become available just in time for use. As part of this detail scheduling, participants must decide whether to work overtime or shut the factory.

MAINTENANCE & QUALITY

Participants must decide how frequently they must maintain machines so as to minimise quality losses, breakdowns and production disruptions. To make this decision, participants must analyse trends in production and scrap and balance scrap costs against lost production and the risk of equipment breakdown.

PRODUCTION & INVENTORY CONTROL

As in the real world participants must handle erratic and changing production rates, missed and wrong material deliveries, staff shortages and disruptions. In other words, all the issues that make production management so challenging!

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Besides standard reports, participants must decide which other reports they need to purchase the information required for decision making. So, participants need to assess the value of information and balance this with the cost of obtaining it.

for new customers and grow sales to existing customers through directing selling effort towards specific customer groups and individual products.

TEAM WORKING

With participants working in small teams, they have the opportunity to share experience and knowledge, present and promote different viewpoints and develop their "people" skills. Also, optionally, at the end of the simulation, participants can be asked to produce a formal sales presentation covering their strategies, the current and future situation, how they allocated effort and learning

DOCUMENTATION

Documentation is provided separately for the UK and US Versions MS Word format and as PDF files and comprises:

A Participants' Manual that provides, for the participants. a description of the simulation, a description of their task and how to use the software.

The Background Notes describe the simulation for the trainer and may be used as a handout to the participants at the end of the simulation. Note: To access these you need to contact Hall Marketing to get a password.

The Decision Forms are optional and are provided to allow teams to record decisions as the simulation progresses or to allow the tutor to enter decisions for teams where there is only one computer with printer.

The History (September to December) are optional handouts to teams for them to analyse before making their first decision,

Briefing is a MS Power Point briefing explaining the simulation to the participants. (You may find it useful if you review this before reading the Participant's Manual and Background Notes.)

Using the Simulator provides, for the trainer (and computer support staff), information about installing the simulation and the use of the software.

Running the Simulation provides, for the trainer, information about running the simulation.

	UK Version	US Version
Participants' Manual
Background Notes
Scheduling - Decision Form
Planning - Decision Form
History - September
History - October
History - November
History - December
Briefing Slides
Using the Simulator
Running the Simulation

SIMULATOR DOWNLOAD

This is provided to allow you to download an evaluation version of Teamskill. You can download to your hard disc, a flash drive or to floppy discs. (If downloading to floppy disc, you must have two blank formatted floppy discs available (labeled Disc 1 and Disc 2). Also be advised that the Cab files will take some time to down load.)

Help with downloading - especially with Windows XP.

The table below shows the files to download, their description, size and the floppy disc to save to. Once all files are downloaded, place Disc 1 in your floppy drive. Click Start and then Run and enter A:\setup.exe. The program should then install.

Most recent update: 06/09/08
Hall Marketing, Studio 11, Colman's Wharf, 45 Morris Road, London E14 6PA, ENGLAND
Phone & Fax +44 (0)20 7537 2982 E-mail jeremyhall@simulations.co.uk