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“The
only source of sustainable competitive advantage is the capacity of
the institution to learn more and faster than it’s competitors”
– Arie de Geus, author of “The Living Company” and
former Vice President of Group Planning at Royal Dutch/Shell. In
a time of increasingly accelerated change and growing interdependence
of institutions, great adaptation power and pro-activity is demanded
to face new realities. Institutions need to develop their own capacity
to promote and manage their changes. In other words, it is not exclusively an HR department’s challenge. Institutions as a whole can take over the process of change as they “learn to learn”, as they explore and question restrictions that keep the institution at present performance levels, and in this way “reinvent” themselves to reach the future that they really wish for. |
BEER GAME The Beer game is a sensibilization activity about value chains, and systemic thought concepts and tools, based on the simulation of the functioning of a beer distribution chain. Created at MIT (USA), each “game table” represents a distribution chain with four stations: Factory, Distributor, Wholesaler, and Retailer. The objective is to maximize results through the managing of stock and pending orders that haven´t been taken care of. The discussion about the activity starts with considerations and appraisal of graphs and results, and progresses along main relevant issues to the institution, analyzing the importance and effects of relationships within the chain positions in the overall result. It is practically inevitable that analogies to reality be made, linking and relating observed aspects to every day practice. Stimulating and encouraging discussion among participants, reflections and considerations are made about the experience of simulation and observing results that one´s own decision may produce in the overall company performance.
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