The Lean Dot Game - Stick it to the Man!
Do you want to run a lean training simulation, but don't have the budget for a complicated Lego set? Need a game that uses stuff you probably have lying around the office? The Dot Game is a great little simulation that's less complicated than Mr. Happy Face and a lot lighter than the Penny Game.
The Dot Game is a variation of the Lean Cups Game, but simpler, using sticky notes and different coloured dots. The dots are just circular stickers that you can pick up at any office supply type of store.
The game runs in 3 rounds or 20 minutes each, depending on how much time you want to spend on discussion. At this length, it's easy to mix it into an all day training session while teaching core lean tools like value stream mapping, 5S and 8 wastes.
Or you could run the 3 rounds back to back and squeeze it into a hour-long presentation.
The Dot Game is ideal for teaching the basics of lean production, since it simulates a process that everyone understands. There's multiple steps, multiple processes, potential for quality problems, a bottleneck, unbalanced flow and significant overproduction.
Each sticky note has to have six dots applied to it in a very specific pattern as shown:
There are eight roles in the game. It's designed for software developers as written, so the job titles refer to different developers within a software design process. Really, the names don't matter. You're just putting dots on post-it notes.
Here's the steps:
1. Business Analyst - Picks 6 post-its
2. Technical Analyst - Puts on yellow dot
3. Designer - Puts on red dot
4. UI Developer - Puts on green dot
5. Developer - puts on both blue dots
6. Tester - discards anything of poor quality
7. Project Manager - uses stopwatch
8. Customer - receives the finished product
That's it!
Run the game in three rounds. Like most lean games, the first round is a free for all, with lots of positive encouragement (shouting!) to ensure each person moves as fast as possible and makes lots of WIP.
The second round, you get closer to single piece flow, implement work in process limits and minimize the inventory.
The third round you can look at smoothing production and optimizing the work cell.
What do you mean, where can I get the Dot Game? Look in your supply cabinet at work, or head on over to Staples. You need post-its and stickers.
But what if I want even more?
Maybe you want some improved directions, and instructions for the participants? Then head on over to www.netobjectives.com. There, you will find a Dot Game .pdf file with all the instructions you need, as well as work instructions. If you can't find the Dot Game with the link above, then enter "dot game" in the search field at the upper right of the page.
Be advised that registration is required for net objectives, but they haven't sent me any spam. So if you don't mind the occasional email about training events, you can get your hands on this .pdf file.
I've added this game to my huge list of lean games and simulations.
What is the Lean Dot Game?
The Dot Game is a variation of the Lean Cups Game, but simpler, using sticky notes and different coloured dots. The dots are just circular stickers that you can pick up at any office supply type of store.
The game runs in 3 rounds or 20 minutes each, depending on how much time you want to spend on discussion. At this length, it's easy to mix it into an all day training session while teaching core lean tools like value stream mapping, 5S and 8 wastes.
Or you could run the 3 rounds back to back and squeeze it into a hour-long presentation.
The Dot Game is ideal for teaching the basics of lean production, since it simulates a process that everyone understands. There's multiple steps, multiple processes, potential for quality problems, a bottleneck, unbalanced flow and significant overproduction.
How does the Dot Game Work?
Your group of highly trained experts get to master the skills of sticking sticky dots to sticky notes. That's right, those executives who make six figure salaries, will be seated around a table doing arts and crafts. Don't worry. It's worth it when you can get them to understand the basics of lean.Each sticky note has to have six dots applied to it in a very specific pattern as shown:
 |
| Make those blue dots touch, but not overlap! |
There are eight roles in the game. It's designed for software developers as written, so the job titles refer to different developers within a software design process. Really, the names don't matter. You're just putting dots on post-it notes.
Here's the steps:
1. Business Analyst - Picks 6 post-its
2. Technical Analyst - Puts on yellow dot
3. Designer - Puts on red dot
4. UI Developer - Puts on green dot
5. Developer - puts on both blue dots
6. Tester - discards anything of poor quality
7. Project Manager - uses stopwatch
8. Customer - receives the finished product
That's it!
Run the game in three rounds. Like most lean games, the first round is a free for all, with lots of positive encouragement (shouting!) to ensure each person moves as fast as possible and makes lots of WIP.
The second round, you get closer to single piece flow, implement work in process limits and minimize the inventory.
The third round you can look at smoothing production and optimizing the work cell.
Where can I get the Dot Game?
What do you mean, where can I get the Dot Game? Look in your supply cabinet at work, or head on over to Staples. You need post-its and stickers.
But what if I want even more?
Maybe you want some improved directions, and instructions for the participants? Then head on over to www.netobjectives.com. There, you will find a Dot Game .pdf file with all the instructions you need, as well as work instructions. If you can't find the Dot Game with the link above, then enter "dot game" in the search field at the upper right of the page.
Be advised that registration is required for net objectives, but they haven't sent me any spam. So if you don't mind the occasional email about training events, you can get your hands on this .pdf file.
I've added this game to my huge list of lean games and simulations.
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