USED IN BBA, MBA & EXEC‑ED COURSES
Teach operations through live data and decisions.
Curriculum‑aligned simulation labs that turn flow, bottlenecks, variability, and inventory into measurable learning—complete with time‑stamped datasets, analysis prompts, and assessment‑ready rubrics. Students love the team competition and live leaderboard that make concepts feel real.
What students learn
Concept mastery
Process flow, bottlenecks, Little’s Law, queues, variability, capacity, line balancing, scheduling, inventory, bullwhip effect.
Data literacy
Analyze time‑stamped events to compute WIP, flow time, utilization, and run quick regressions; use evidence to justify changes.
Teamwork & engagement
Teams make capacity/policy decisions; the live leaderboard and rounds make it fun while driving disciplined reasoning.
Curriculum‑aligned modules
Pick an objective; run a 20, 45, or 75‑minute lab.
Prefer a quick “how to adopt” overview? Instructor Guide
Flow & Bottlenecks
Widget Wizards- Little’s Law
- WIP
- bottleneck ID
- line balancing
- throughput
Variability & Capacity
Car WashHospital Flow- variability
- queues
- capacity planning
- lost sales
Inventory & Bullwhip
Beer Game- order policies
- variance amplification
- service levels
Workforce Planning & Productivity
Workforce Scheduling- scheduling
- utilization
- SLA
- labor flexibility
- cross‑training
All modules include teaching notes, dataset (CSV), and debrief slides—plus instructor facilitation guidance.
Games at a glance
Car Wash
Balance bays, buffers & staffing under stochastic arrivals and service times.
View details →
Widget Wizards
Run a three‑stage line; tune buffers & staffing to hit throughput targets with minimal WIP.
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Hospital Flow
Allocate beds & manage admissions to control delays across ED and wards.
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Workforce Scheduling
Set shift patterns and cross‑training to meet demand while maintaining service.
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Pedagogy & Evidence
Experiential cycle
Brief → action → results → analysis → debrief, aligning concepts to lived performance.
Immediate feedback
Leaderboards and charts turn abstract ideas into visible consequences students can reason about.
Assessment‑ready
Teaching notes with micro‑quiz prompts and memo rubric; simple CSV export supports assessment and grading.
Evidence of learning (from your run)
Every session produces analyzable, time‑stamped data. Debrief with WIP, flow‑time, and utilization charts; participation is captured via leaderboard and decision logs; export CSV for grading and assessment.
- Time‑stamped events → CSV (Excel or notebooks)
- Auto‑generated debrief charts
- Short analytics memo prompts with rubric
Sample event rows
| t | job_id | station | event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:02.1 | J‑103 | S1 | arrive |
| 00:03.5 | J‑103 | S1 | start |
| 00:07.7 | J‑103 | S1 | finish |
| 00:08.0 | J‑104 | S1 | arrive |
| 00:10.2 | J‑104 | S2 | start |
Used By Instructors at
A select group of universities using SimArenas in BBA, MBA, and Exec-Ed courses.
What Instructors & Students Say
“SimArenas was one of the most effective active-learning tools I used all semester. The Car Wash scenario fully engaged students and made ‘variability eats capacity’ click immediately—leading to a rich discussion of real operational tradeoffs. Honestly, it was fun to watch the system start to break down!”
“I would be very happy to use SimArenas again. My healthcare-focused EMBA students truly enjoyed the Widget Hospital game—it resonated with their professional experiences, and they learned a great deal through the process.”
“What I liked most about SimArenas was the balance between realism and focus. The simulations are detailed enough to require real analytical thinking, yet structured around the key operational drivers so students don’t get lost in unnecessary complexity. Students clearly benefited from seeing how process design and queuing decisions play out in a real-world setting, and I would readily use the simulations again.”
“SimArenas simulations provided an excellent platform for my students to apply theoretical concepts to realistic operations management scenarios. Because the individual simulations are manageable in scope, I was able to integrate them seamlessly into my existing class schedule.”