Supply chain sim · based on the Beer Distribution Game

The Root Beer Game

Starting point: every company has 12 cases in stock, and every order and shipping slot in the chain already holds 4.
Order delay: an order takes 2 weeks to reach your supplier.
Shipping delay: a shipment takes 2 weeks to reach you.
Factory: a production request takes 1 week to reach the brewing floor, and brewing takes 2 more weeks.
Holding cost: $0.50 for every case in stock, every week.
Backorder cost: $1.00 for every case you owe your customer, every week.
Length: 36 weeks. Players aren't told when the game ends, so nobody can run their stock to zero for the finish.
Customer demand: in the classic game it starts at 4 cases a week and changes once. Players aren't told when or by how much. Seasonal and random demand patterns are also available.

A free online version of the beer game, the classic supply chain simulation from MIT. Run the retailer, wholesaler, distributor, or factory in a four-company root beer supply chain and try to keep costs down while orders and shipments run late.

Single player: pick a role and the computer runs the other three companies, using ordering habits measured in real beer game sessions.
Standard rules: 2-week order and shipping delays, $0.50 holding cost, $1.00 backorder cost, 36 weeks with a hidden end.
A full debrief: customer demand next to every company's orders, so you can watch the bullwhip effect grow up the chain.
Classic, seasonal, and random demand, plus an information sharing mode.