Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education

Volume 9 Number 3
September 2011
Printed in the U.S.A.
C
2011, Decision Sciences Institute
Journal compilation
C
2011, Decision Sciences Institute
TEACHING BRIEF
The Bicycle Assembly Line Game
Dorothy Klotz
Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458,
e-mail: Klotz@fordham.edu
ABSTRACT
The Bicycle Assembly Line Game is a team-based, in-class activity that helps students
develop a basic understanding of continuously operating processes. Each team of 710
students selects one of seven pregured bicycle assembly lines to operate. The lines
are run in real-time, and the team that operates the line that yields the highest revenue
wins. Students learn through discovery What drives output rate?; How is capacity
managed relative to market demand?; and Why does inventory accumulate? Because
task times are constant, the game provides a nice lead-in to the topic of line balancing.
This game has been successfully used in both undergraduate- and MBA-level operations
management courses.
Subject Areas: Assembly Line, Capacity, Game, In-Class Exercise,
Inventory, Line Balancing, and Operations Management.
INTRODUCTION
The in-class activity the Bicycle Assembly Line Game helps students develop
a basic understanding of continuously operating processes and assembly line de-
sign issues. The activity addresses questions such as What drives output rate?;
How is capacity managed relative to market demand?; and Why does inventory
accumulate? This game was developed to be played prior to formal classroom
presentation on assembly line balancing. Most textbooks provide a step-by-step
process for balancing an assembly line (Heizer & Render, 2011; Jacobs & Chase,
2011). However, the game presented here permits learning through discovery. Ex-
tensive use of this exercise over the last 10 years in undergraduate-, MBA-, and
executive-level operations management core courses has strengthened assembly
line design learning and earned overwhelmingly positive feedback from students.
In the Bicycle Assembly Line Game, task times are constant, which is
similar to most textbook line balancing problems. This differs from most other
in-class assembly line exercises, for which task times vary. For example, in Fish
(2005) and Billington (2004), task times vary depending upon a participants
ability to complete a particular task(s), while in Cox and Walker (2004), task times
are randomly generated. By removing the effect of statistical uctuations due to
varying task time, it becomes clearer that the conguration of the line, in particular
the slowest workstation, dictates the output rate, rather than the roll of the die
or ability of a student to perform the assigned tasks. The effects of statistical
371
372 Teaching Brief
Table 1: Building a biketasks, description of tasks, time to perform tasks, and
predecessor relationships.
Task Time Predecessor
Task Description (seconds) Relationships
A Process the order 7 none
B Gather parts for spokes and tires 6 A
C Gather parts for frame and attachments 8 A
D Assemble spokes 8 B
E Prepare tires 1 B
F Weld frame together and paint 6 C
G Prepare handlebars, fenders, brakes, etc. 5 C
H Assemble wheels 5 D, E
I Assemble frames and attachments 4 F, G
J Assemble wheels to frame 4 H, I
Table 2: Bicycle assembly line designs. These Bicycle Assembly Lines can be
used to make bicycles. The designs vary in terms of the number of workstations
and task(s) assigned to each workstation. The time to perform a task is provided
in Table 1. For all of the assembly lines, all of the predecessor relationships in
Table 1 are satised.
Work Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly
Station Line 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 Line 5 Line 6 Line 7
1 A, B A A A A, B A, B, C A
2 D C B, E B, E C, E, G D, E, F, G B
3 C, E B, F D, H C D, H H, I, J C
4 F, G G, I, E C, G F, G F, I, J D, E
5 H, I, J D F, I, J D, I F, G
6 H, J H, J H, I
7 J
uctuations can be explored later in the course by playing the classic matchstick/die
game as described in Goldratt and Cox (1992) followed by the Excel simulation
developed by Martin (2007).
The game can be played with as few as 14 students and has been played
with upward of 50 students, with an ideal number between 2140. Teams consist
of 710 students. It typically takes 15 minutes to introduce the game, divide the
class into teams, and have each team select an assembly line. Running the lines
and analyzing the results takes 30 minutes. After receiving information about the
bicycle assembly process (Table 1) and market demand, each team selects one of
seven precongured assembly lines for the teamto operate (Table 2). Selected lines
are run in real-time, and the team that generates the highest revenue is declared
the winner. The competition among the teams provides a very lively and engaging
classroom experience.
Klotz 373
Figure 1: Bicycle: a bicycle is represented by a sheet of paper with the repre-
sentation printed on it. A task is performed by placing check marks at the rate of
one check mark every second in each of the squares associated with the task. For
example, Tasks A has seven squares associated with it, therefore, requiring seven
seconds to be completed.
MATERIALS REQUIRED
The following items should be provided by the instructor: one drum; one timing
device; one copy of Table 1 per team; one copy of Table 2 per team; and 50 copies
of Figure 1 per team (one copy per sheet of paper).
Classroom Instructions
Divide the class into teams of seven or more students. Distribute Table 1, Table 2,
and copies of Figure 1 to the teams. Using Table 1 as a guide, describe howbikes are
assembledreviewtasks, task times, and predecessor relationships. Briey review
assembly line conceptsthat an assembly line is a sequence of workstations; that
a workstation consists of either a single task or multiple tasks; and that to correctly
build a bike, Table 1 tasks must be completed within workstations such that prece-
dence relationships are not violated (note that all proposed line designs in Table
2 satisfy these conditions). It should also be noted that total workstation time to
process a bicycle is the sum of the individual task time(s) for all task(s) assigned to
that workstation. For example, in Assembly Line 1, Task A (7 seconds) and Task B
(6 seconds) are performed at the rst workstation, so the rst workstation takes 13
seconds to process a bike. Assembly Line 2 differs in that the rst workstation per-
forms only Task A, so the rst workstation takes only 7 seconds to process a bike.
Instruct the teams about their "goalto select a line design from Table 2
that maximizes revenue." If their line generates the highest revenue, they will win
374 Teaching Brief
irrespective of the number of workstations. If there is a tie (same revenue), the team
with the fewest number of workstations will be the winner. Teams should consider
market information for determining revenue: bike sale price is $1/bike (xed); and
bike demand is ve bikes per minute. Bikes that do not sell (i.e., exceed demand)
do not yield revenue. To encourage the teams to arrive at a quick decision, inform
them that "each line design in Table 2 can be run by only one team," and that
the instructor will grant requests for the lines on a rst-come, rst-serve basis.
Before sending teams to deliberate, provide an example by setting up and running
Assembly Line 3 so it is clear how the lines will be operationalized.
OPERATIONALIZING THE ASSEMBLY LINES IN TABLE 2
Place desks in a row, one desk for each workstation. For each workstation, assign
one person seated at the desk.
A bicycle is represented by each sheet of paper containing Figure 1, and the
bicycle in process passes from workstation to workstation. Each workstation per-
forms the assigned task(s) by placing check marks in each of the boxes associated
with its workstations assigned task(s) at the rate of one check mark per second.
To pace the workers, the instructor beats a drum at the rate of one beat per second.
Note that the number of boxes associated with a task is equal to the number of
seconds required to perform that task. Once a workstation completes its assigned
task(s), the bike should be passed to the next workstation before the next drum
beat. When the last workstation nishes its task(s), the completed bike should be
place in a nished goods pile on the last workstations desk.
Begin the game with 40 bike sheets (Figure 1) at the rst workstation, which
represents available raw material inventory, and one bike sheet at each of the other
workstations. Each of these bike sheets represents a piece of work-in-process
and therefore, each workstation should assume that all the tasks performed by
workstations earlier in line are already completed (checks should be placed in
all boxes associated with any task(s) assigned to preceding workstations). When
the game begins, each worker should immediately begin processing the partially
completed bike at their workstation by marking checks in the boxes associated
with their assigned tasks.
The pacing rule requires all workers to place a check in one of the boxes
associated with their assigned task(s) each time the drum beats, unless of course
there is not a bike at their workstation. The intention here is for each workstation
to process work as quickly as possible and push units to the next workstation. The
instructor initiates the assembly line process by beating a drum at the rate of one
beat per second.
THE RESULTS AND TEACHING POINTS
After 1 minute of operation (i.e., 60 beats of the drum), stop and analyze each
assembly line using the tables in Figure 2. The following teaching points can be
made:
(1) The slowest workstation, the workstation that requires the most check
marks to complete its task(s), dictates the output rate of an assembly line.
Klotz 375
Figure 2: Analysis of Assembly Line

where

= 1,2, . . . .7 and n = the number
of workstations in Assembly Line

: after each minute of operation, these tables
should be lled in.
(2) The ability of an assembly line to earn revenue (i.e., throughput) depends
on the capacity of the system relative to market demand.
(3) Inventory accumulates wherever there is a slowdown (i.e., wherever the
owfeeding a resource/systemis greater than the resource/systems ability
to process the ow).
(4) As time progresses, inventory continues to accumulate in a system and
workers start to feel overwhelmed.
By running the lines for an additional 60 seconds, teaching points 1 to 3 can
be conrmed and point 4 is driven home. After the second minute of operation,
identify the winning team(s).
VARIATION
The game can be played a second time with the addition of inventory costs and
with a relaxation of the rule that a workstation must place a check each time the
drum beats. In this second game, the new pacing rule requires that a workstation
can place no more than one check mark every time the drum beats. In order to
prevent the reduction of inventory at the expense of revenue, announce that lines
will be evaluated rst in terms of revenue and, if a winner cannot be identied based
on revenue alone, the number of workstations will be considered. And it is only
if consideration of revenue and the number of workstations does not determine a
winner, that inventory cost will be considered, where inventory cost will be assessed
proportional to the amount of work-in-process and nished goods inventory.
With the addition of inventory costs and the exibility to not make a check
every second, most teams develop some form of a pull system of inventory control
with workstations intentionally sitting idle (i.e., not marking checks even though
376 Teaching Brief
Table 3: Survey result of two graduate classes (N = 66).
Scale: Strongly Disagree (1); Neutral (3); Strongly Agree (5)
Questions Mean SD
The bicycle assembly line game improved my understanding
of key concepts involved in assembly line design.
4.83 .38
I felt the bicycle assembly line game is a more effective way
to present the topic of assembly line design than traditional
lecture/reading assignments.
4.88 .33
The bicycle assembly line game was an engaging classroom
exercise.
4.89 .40
The bicycle assembly line game was fun. 4.68 .61
there is something to work on). Comparing the performance of the rst and second
runs provides a nice illustration of the advantages of lean production.
EFFECTIVENESS OF EXERCISE
Over the years, this exercise has been extremely well received by students. Table 3
contains the survey results of the effectiveness of the Bicycle Assembly Line Game
from the student perspective. However, probably the most telling evidence of the
effectiveness of this exercise is based on the observation that fewer than 25% of
the groups select an assembly line that meets the market demand when the game is
rst played, and then if the game is played again with inventory costs, more than
75% of the teams select an assembly line that meets the market demand.
References
Billington, P. (2004). A classroom exercise to illustrate lean manufacturing pull
concepts. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 2(1), 7177.
Cox, J. F. III, & Walker, E. D. II (2004). Using a Socratic game to introduce basic
line design and planning and control concepts. Decision Sciences Journal of
Innovative Education, 2(1), 7782.
Fish, L. (2005). Teaching assembly line balancing: A mini-demonstration with
duplo blocks or the running of the dogs. Decision Sciences Journal of
Innovative Education, 3(1), 169176.
Goldratt, E. M., & Cox, J. (1992). The goal (2nd ed.). Great Barrington, MA:
North River Press.
Heizer, J., & Render, B. (2011). Principles of operations management (8th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Jacob, R., & Chase, R. (2011). Operations and supply chain management
(13th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Martin, C. (2007). Asimulation based on Goldratts matchstick/die game. Decision
Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 5(2), 423429.
Klotz 377
Dorothy Klotz is a professor of management systems in the Gabelli School of
Business at Fordham University and has taught the operations management course
at the undergraduate, MBA, and executive levels using a variety of approaches
including various participatory learning exercises. Here research interests include
auction and procurement design mechanisms, and her publications have appeared
in Management Science, RAND Journal of Economics, Economic Design, and
Group Decision and Negotiation.