Brainstorming under Pressure A ‘Retailing’ Problem Successful retailers such as Wal-mart and Carrefour have built their success on the rapid transfer of inventory from storage to retail shelves. mhis story involves one such retailer, call it mall-wart.Successful retailers such as Wal-mart and Carrefour have built their success on the rapid transfer of inventory from storage to retail shelves. mhis story involves one such retailer, call it mall-wart. On one particular working day,On one particular working day, one group of six (6) mall-wart employees were at the receiving docks of their warehouseone group of six (6) mall-wart employees were at the receiving docks of their warehouse three(3) from Accounting andthree(3) from Accounting and three (3) from Unloadingthree (3) from Unloading All were preparing to ride from the warehouse to the retail store on a truckload of merchandise.All were preparing to ride from the warehouse to the retail store on a truckload of merchandise.

Brainstorming under Pressure The Problem Unfortunately space on the truck is limited:Unfortunately space on the truck is limited: –And the employees must ride in pairs in the truck as it can only hold two people in addition to the merchandise it needs to transfer to the store –All of the employees know how to drive a truck. The Warehouse Unloaders are known to be dishonest, and if they ever outnumber the Accountants, the one that is not monitored will immediately steal whatever inventory is not bolted down in the store or the warehouse;The Warehouse Unloaders are known to be dishonest, and if they ever outnumber the Accountants, the one that is not monitored will immediately steal whatever inventory is not bolted down in the store or the warehouse; This is a problem for Corporate Security, which needs to figure out how to advise all six to get to the back to the Retail Store where they are needed for work.This is a problem for Corporate Security, which needs to figure out how to advise all six to get to the back to the Retail Store where they are needed for work.

Brainstorming under Pressure Role Playing Chose six (6) people in your group to play one of these two groups of employees – three Accountants and three UnloadersChose six (6) people in your group to play one of these two groups of employees – three Accountants and three Unloaders Chose one area of the room as the WarehouseChose one area of the room as the Warehouse –And chose another physical area of the room as the Retail Store The idea is to physically walk across the room without leaving more Unloaders than Accountants on any one sideThe idea is to physically walk across the room without leaving more Unloaders than Accountants on any one side Unloaders and Accountants are expected to work together to figure out how to get everyone (by pairs) from the Warehouse to the Retail Store in the shortest timeUnloaders and Accountants are expected to work together to figure out how to get everyone (by pairs) from the Warehouse to the Retail Store in the shortest time The winning team is the one with the shortest transit time.The winning team is the one with the shortest transit time. You all will be fired if any merchandise is stolen in the situation that Unloaders ever outnumber Accountants on a particular sideYou all will be fired if any merchandise is stolen in the situation that Unloaders ever outnumber Accountants on a particular side

Debriefing Each group should answer these questions What strategy did you use to be successful?What strategy did you use to be successful? How were differences of opinion about how to move handled in your team?How were differences of opinion about how to move handled in your team? Did you have a leader? How was he/she selected?Did you have a leader? How was he/she selected? When someone on your team thought he/she knew the solution or at least the next move, how did he or she behave? How did you respond to that?When someone on your team thought he/she knew the solution or at least the next move, how did he or she behave? How did you respond to that? Did you ever feel like you were not making progress? How did that make you feel?Did you ever feel like you were not making progress? How did that make you feel? Did you ever have to backtrack, in order to move forward in the problem solving?Did you ever have to backtrack, in order to move forward in the problem solving?

Solution

This is not very difficult, as there are not very many possible moves (ignoring backtracking to the previous state) in any given situation. It is safe to have an equal number of A and U on both ends of transit ; and it is safe to have all of the As on either side, and any number of Us on either side. All other states are illegal.This is not very difficult, as there are not very many possible moves (ignoring backtracking to the previous state) in any given situation. It is safe to have an equal number of A and U on both ends of transit ; and it is safe to have all of the As on either side, and any number of Us on either side. All other states are illegal. WarehousetransitRetail Store TAAAUUU AAUU> TAU (or UU) TAAAUU<U AAA>TUUU TAAAU<UU AU>TAAUU <AU UU>TAAAU TUUU<AAA U>TAAAUU TUU<AAAU >TAAAUUU T=Truck A=Accountant U=Unloader