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Arizona Roundtable wins annual CSCMP supply chain simulation game

Online game teaches participants about risk management through running the supply chain for a simulated company.

A team of four supply chain professionals from the Arizona Roundtable has beaten three other teams from across the globe to win the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' (CSCMP) second Annual Roundtable Global Challenge. The competition requires teams to use a simulation program created by the European company Inchainge B.V. to design a supply chain for a fictional juice company, and then try to manage it when it is exposed to risk.

Participating roundtables hosted a simulation "game night" where members competed in groups of four. The winners at the roundtable level then advanced to compete in the global challenge, which was sponsored by logistics service provider APL Logistics.


The simulation requires teams to analyze risks in terms of probability and impact, manage risks through prevention and mitigation of effects, address strategy alignment, and assess the company's vulnerability by using a matrix and value-at-risk model.

"It's really a lot of fun to work with the team to create a supply chain strategy that aligns with the external factors in the market and compete in a risk-free environment against other teams on a global scale," said Raul Molina, a business analyst at Avnet Inc., a distributor of electronic components and solutions, and a member of the winning team.

The other Roundtable Global Challenge finalists included the Germany Roundtable (second place), Illinois Institute of Technology Roundtable (third place), and Southern California Roundtable (fourth place).

The winning Arizona Roundtable team will receive complimentary registration and transportation to the CSCMP EDGE 2017 Supply Chain Conference, on September 24-27, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia, where they will be recognized and honored onstage.

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