A lot of WIP on your manufacturing floors? Late deliveries? Running at 2 sigma? High returns, rework or scrap? Running over budget? Inventory turns low (3-5/year)? Can't seem to get people to fix problems so they don't come back over and over again? Don't know how to get them to work the system issues so things smooth out and continuously improve? Stuck in the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" way of thinking?
In the first company, the staff is trained to search for causes and solve problems in a preventive manner. The company runs relatively smoothly and employee lives are easy. The customers and suppliers both like to deal with this company. WIP is low and inventory turns are high. Shipments are on time and of high quality. People look forward to coming to work each day, attendance is high, turnover is low and profitability is keeping everyone gainfully employed and rewarded.
In the second company there are daily firefighting drills and everyone accepts these emergencies, schedule changes, and crises as the normal way of operating. There is a fair amount of finger pointing, badmouthing, arguing and politics. Returns are high and the company is often trying to get customer buy-offs. Employee turnover runs at twenty-five percent each year and no one minds if they miss a day or two. People work long hours and usually receive no reward because profit margins are low or nonexistent.
Which company would you rather work for?
Teach Your People to Play The Quality Game
Manage Quality to World-Class Standards
Or Run the Company into the Ground and Get Fired
$99 on CD
Over 800 Interdepartmental Problems
Multiple Player Format
12 Business Departments Represented
How is the game played? The playing board depicts a common manufacturing workplace with departments, offices, hallways, a manufacturing floor, conference rooms and bathrooms. Computer dice are rolled and employees and managers representing their own departments (or other departments) must move their representative pieces through the hallways as they "manage by walking around". Certain squares are labeled "Problem". When an employee lands on a problem square, a problem caused by that department is randomly selected from the problem deck and read to the employee. If the employee chooses a system level solution from four options, the employee's department budget is rewarded. If the chosen response is incorrect, the department budget is reduced.
The primary goal is for the players to team up and solve critical level problems thereby earning customer money. In this manner, the company flourishes and grows. Individuals and teams unable to work together to solve expensive problems cause the company to lose company money to the competition. When the company money is depleted, the company folds and the game is over.
– Load the CD and follow the installation instructions
– Players represent the department they actually work in or choose to learn the problems of other departments
– Which departments play? All those that can impact product quality.
Finance and Accounting Operations Document Control
Quality Engineering Marketing and Sales
Human Resources Materials Information Technology
Manufacturing Facilities Research and Development
– Players start at the “Lobby” and roll the dice and move counter clockwise following the arrows around the board (Management By walking Around – MBA). One trip around the board is equal to one week on the job.
– Players landing on a “Problem” square must choose preventive solutions
– Failure to suggest preventive solutions cost the department part of its budget. Players that losing the department’s budget are fired. If the players provides system level solutions, the department’s budget is increased.
– Failure of players to “team up” and successfully solve critical problems causes the company to lose money to the competition. If critical problems are successfully solved, the company earns money from customers.
