Lego Flow Game

Timing: 60-90 minutes

Overview:

The Lego Flow Game is a fun exercise to compare and contrast different approaches to processes, with respect to how work flows. The aim of the game is to build Lego Advent Calendar items, with a defined workflow: finding the next advent calendar number (analysis), finding the matching set of lego pieces (supply), creating the lego item (build) and checking the item has been built correctly and robustly (accept). There are specialist roles for each stage in the workflow – analysis, suppliers, builders and acceptors – as well as an overall manager, and some market representatives. The game is run three times, each for a different type of process – batch and phase driven, time-boxed and flow-based.

Learning Points:

Teams discuss what worked and what was challenging about the policies after each round. The goal is start thinking about pros and cons of different approaches rather than trying to prove one way is better than any other. At the very end, showing the Cumulative Flow Diagrams provides another way to compare and contrast the different rounds with respect to flow. If you have time, you can also ask teams what other policy changes they would make to try and improve their processes and performance, and maybe even try them out and capture the metrics to see.

Link to Game: http://availagility.co.uk/lego-flow-game/