Littlefield Simulation

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Littlefield Simulation
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Agenda

• Timeline
• Goal
• Process
• Information Available
• Decision Variables

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Timeline

• Work in groups
• You can register your teams at http//lt.responsiv
  e.net/lt/nanyangtrial2/entry.html
• Use the code user' to register
• Do not share team name and password with anyone
  except your team mate
• Once the simulator has started, you can access
  your teams from http//lt.responsive.net/lt/ntu/en
  try.html.

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Timeline

• Once Simulator is available
• Go in, start poking around and get familiar
• Try downloading data
• Develop machine purchasing strategies
• Monday , 30 July at 12 noon Clock Starts
• 1 simulated day per real-life hour
• 168 simulated days over 7 24-hour real-life days
• Monday, 6 Aug at 12 noon Game Ends
• Subject to confirmation

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Goal Make Money!

• You run a manufacturing plant. You purchase raw
  materials, process them and ship them to your
  customers.
• Orders come in at random intervals.
• You need to purchase enough raw materials and
  have enough machines to process orders and get
  them out on time. Late orders are penalized.
• But, it wastes money to have excess capacity.
  Your cash generates a 10 return. Buying
  excessive materials and machines will absorb cash
  that could be making money and then you may need
  to sell excess supplies or equipment at a loss.
  You need to balance between buying and not
  buying.

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The Main Screen
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Accepting Customer Orders

• You have 2 lead-time contract options
• Default
• Earn 1000
• Quoted lead-time of 24 hours
• Revenue penalty of 500 a day
• Jobs that take longer than 3 days 0
• Fast Lead-Time
• Earn 1500
• Quoted lead-time of 6 hours
• Penalties of 250 per hour late
• Jobs that take longer than 12 hours 0

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Customer Orders

• Customer orders arrive each day
• Order quantity unknown
• stochastic
• Average orders are
• Increasing until about three months elapsed
• Constant average for about 7 weeks after this
• Decreasing from then until day 215

Average Orders
1 unit
3 months
7 weeks later
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Processing Stations

• Orders processed on FIFO basis
• Each station takes a different amount of
  processing time
• Processing times for stations 1 and 2 are
  deterministic
• Processing time for station 3 is stochastic
• Processing times for steps 2 and 4 are different
  even though both use station2
• Step 2 takes less time than station 4

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Processing Station 2

• Materials pass through station twice
• First pass takes less time than the second
• Both passes take a fixed amount of time
• Step 4 takes longer than step 2
• Can choose to change the scheduling policy on
  this station
• FIFO is default (the first in is the first item
  out)
• Or can give priority for work from either station
  1 or 3

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Information Available

• Can gather data on almost every aspect of the
  game
• Customer orders
• Materials inventory
• Queues in front of stations
• Machine utilization
• Completed orders
• Average revenue per day
• Till the game starts, the simulation is paused at
  day 50
• So you have data to view on how the system works
  how inventory builds up, machine utilization,
  shipments, etc.

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Can also monitor

• Overall standing
• Past modifications History
• Current cash positions

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Decision Variables

• You can make the following changes
• Order new machines
• Sell machines
• Change the number of kits that you order (Not in
  this game)
• Change the re-order point
  (Not in this game)
• Change your quoted lead time
  (Not in this game)
• Change scheduling policy at station 2
  (Not in this game)
• First plan, then act, then observe, then plan,
  then act, etc.
• Keep notes on what you do and why! Dont forget
  to keep your teammates up to date on the
  decisions you make and why as well!

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Buying Selling Machines

• When you buy and sell machines it will ask you
• Please select a value for the following control
  variable
• Station Count 2
• Enter the TOTAL number of machines you want to
  have.
• Enter 3 if you want to buy a machine
• Enter 1 if you want to sell

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Some Advice

• Read
• The Littlefield Technologies Overview
• Capacity Management at Littlefield Technologies
• Relax
• You do not need to constantly monitor the system
• This game should be fun
• Poke around a bit before making decisions
• Keep notes on decisions you make
• Very helpful for writing everything up in the end
• As well as analyzing how the decisions you made
  are doing

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Problems

• If you accidentally do something (like sell all
  of your machines), I can fix things for you (like
  add your machines back without adding cost)
• BUT I CANT FIX PROBLEMS RETROACTIVELY
• i.e. I cant make up for lost time because you
  sold your machines. Time will keep moving
  forward. So be careful!

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Question Answer