Teaching Inventory Control via Computer Interaction with Increasing Complexity

Abstract

One of the highlights of last year’s ABSEL conference was the demonstration of 3. Ronald Frazer’s Inventory Simulation (1). The experiential learning achieved by one of the authors during the demonstration stimulated efforts to add such a package to the teaching of inventory control at Kansas State University. While a different simulation package had been used in the teaching of inventory control at Kansas State, success had been somewhat limited due to its complexity (this simulation will be described later). The addition of an inventory control simulation similar to Frazer’s provides the student with an enjoyable but yet meaningful learning experience at a level that does not confuse the student. Also the additional simulation provides a transition between the relatively abstract EOQ lectures and the complexity faced in implementing the EOQ model in the second simulation.