Virtual Teaming Project
This initiative provides an educational experience in logistics and supply-chain management for undergraduate students, helping them develop skills that companies value, through case study and simulation using a sophisticated operating platform developed by the Center and delivered with its project partners.
The Virtual Teaming Project (VTP) provides a classroom experience that reflects the real world:
- Provides hands-on experience with new logistics and information technologies
- Allows students to test emerging e-commerce, logistics and supply-chain concepts
- Exposes students to Internet-based real-time management of global supply chains
- Helps students develop better metrics for evaluating the benefits of virtual teaming as an educational tool in logistics training
- Creates opportunities for students to explore best practices of virtual teaming in an experimental setting prior to implementation within an organization
- Offers opportunities for students to participate in teams that cross national and cultural boundaries
The Simulation
Student teams from participating universities around the world simulate global aspects of supply-chain management in joint exercises with project partners. Students role-play the creation and management of global manufacturing and logistics networks. Through information sharing and collaboration, students are able to respond quickly to customer orders.
Operating Platform
The virtual teaming project uses the GLORILAB as its operating platform. GLORILAB is the learning laboratory of the Global Logistics Research Initiative (GLORI). This experimental and educational network provides an open internet-based environment for information exchange associated with the coordination and synchronization of global supply chains. Using GLORILAB, students collaborate in a real-time information environment.
Case Development
The VTP case, "The Virtual Teaming Challenge," exposes students to real-time virtual problem solving. Global teams of manufacturers, suppliers and third-party logistics providers collaborate in the manufacture of laptop personal computers. Leveraging real-time visibility on a common technology platform, teams develop collaborative supply chain strategies to maximize profits and delivery speed.
VTP Partners
Participants for the 2001 Project were the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, EGADE-ITESM in Mexico, Cologne University of Applied Sciences in Germany and Lenoir Community College in North Carolina and other GLORI [www.glori.org] partners. Funders were the National Science Foundation, Center for International Business and Research and the Kenan Institute.
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LOGISTICS and STRATEGY