5upply Lads - App: Supply Chain
Team 5
Marie Zgurich, Kevin Cornell, Christian Clemmons, Austin Sopha, Audrey Schmitt, Foenix Szot
App Description
App Idea: Supply Chain Simulator
The purpose of this app is to educate middle and high school students on the supply chain and all of its complexities within the Upper Peninsula. In particular, the app will focus on the supply and demand of an important local resource: copper. There is no end goal to this application, making it act more like a “sandbox” simulation with a focus on supply chain mechanics. Each variable in the supply chain is a “node” that has an adjustable value so that the user can see how the outcome changes depending on the values inputted (for example, how would a smaller distribution affect demand?). In our current plan, we have the following nodes:
a.) Supply Node: Produces goods to be transported, specifically copper in this case. Can only be linked up to 3 nodes. Very costly to transport goods from a supply node but is more environmentally friendly than transporting from a distribution node.
b.) Distribution Node: Takes incoming goods and transports them to other nodes. Can intake up to 3 products. Can Transport to any number of nodes.. The cost of transporting is reduced using this node but increases pollution.
c.) Demand Node: Represents the consumers’ demand. Demand nodes can receive from supply nodes or distribution nodes. Need to be delivered a certain number of goods to be satisfied.
All of the nodes of the same type will function the same way. The configuration of the nodes above will affect several factors that determine the effectiveness of the configured supply chain network. Such factors are as follows:
a.) Budget: Everything costs money. Users must be able to see how expensive their supply chain configuration is in order to determine the effectiveness of their supply chain.
b.) Environmental Impact: Fossil fuel emissions are a hot topic in today’s climate. Users must be able to see the environmental impact that their node network has.
c.) Supply: No good is infinite. Users must be able to view the amount of copper their Supply nodes are producing in order to make educated decisions about how to further configure their network.
d.) Demand: Low supplies often warrant high demands. Users must be able to see how bad consumers want the copper being produced in order to effectively manage their supply chain.
Visualization:
Users: Middle & High School students (ages 11-13+)
Technological knowledge may vary, but the idea is to make it where most students can use it. We want to create an app that is easy to use and easy to understand.
App Usage: Students in Hancock schools will be able to use our app to learn about and model a hypothetical supply chain and how many different events (i.e. natural disasters) as well as the connection between supply and demand can affect the supply and demand of copper in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (as well as demand outside the UP).
Our Proposed Gameplay Loop:
Data: The application will not collect and store any data from the user. However, users will be able to “save” their supply chain node network in case they want to come back to it later. They will also be able to “export” the supply chain state so that it can be shown to teachers to grade or study. The app will use fictional data based on real world events and calculations in the Upper Peninsula and the process that copper goes through when being distributed. The time scale for the data can be manipulated to keep the simulation engaging. For instance, creating a time slider to speed up or slow down, a way to pause, and to go back in time in order to fix mistakes or test for a different outcome.