Game is Serious
Cascade is a Beer Game-style supply chain simulation. You manage one node in a multi-stage chain (Customer, Sales, Marketing, Product, Engineering). Each turn you receive orders, decide how many units to order from your supplier, and update your inventory. Orders and deliveries have delays. Small demand swings at the customer amplify as they move upstream, the bullwhip effect. Your goal: minimize total cost (inventory + backlog).
| Role | Position | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Downstream | Receives external demand. Places orders to Sales. |
| Sales | Upstream from Customer | Receives orders from Customer. Orders from Marketing. |
| Marketing | Middle | Receives from Sales. Orders from Product. |
| Product | Middle | Receives from Marketing. Orders from Engineering. |
| Engineering | Upstream | Orders from external supplier. Feels the full bullwhip. |
Each turn has three phases:
Orders take 1-3 turns to propagate upstream (order delay). Deliveries take 1-3 turns to arrive downstream (delivery delay). Because of information lag, you tend to over- or under-order. Small demand changes at the customer amplify upstream, the bullwhip effect. Coordination and shared visibility reduce volatility.
| Cost Type | Formula |
|---|---|
| Inventory cost | Per unit per turn (e.g. €1) |
| Backlog cost | Per unfulfilled unit per turn (e.g. €5) |
Your total cost per turn = (inventory × inventory_cost) + (backlog × backlog_cost). The team wins by minimizing cumulative cost across all roles.
The manager configures: number of roles (4–6), players per role (1–2), number of teams (1–6), total turns (12–16), order delay, delivery delay, backlog cost, inventory cost. Role names can be customized to match your context.
After the game, connect experiences to real supply chain challenges: