The shipment that never arrived
You run operations at Northstar. Orders are booked, a supplier is late and the team has limited room to absorb surprises.
Your mission: Deliver responsibly while balancing speed, cost and staff workload.
What this COO game helps you practise
Balance delivery promises, capacity and the workload on a team.
Play five decisions, keep a completed run and replay another path. Compare your choices, explain the evidence and download your reflection. Allow 10 to 15 minutes per run.
All numbers are fictional. Cash changes are net receipts and payments. Other meters are illustrative game points, not measured business forecasts. A negative cash balance is an unfunded gap.
The missing shipment
Your supplier will miss Monday. A replacement supplier can ship now at a premium.
Inspect the evidence before deciding
Expedited materials cost $7,000. Rescheduling customers costs $1,000 in credits.
Consequences are visible so you can compare tradeoffs. Choices take effect immediately. You can undo a move.
Play together
For students, families and curious adults. Try guided play first, with an adult explaining unfamiliar terms. Pause before each choice and write a prediction. Assign finance, marketing and operations perspectives, then swap roles on a replay. Allow about 10 to 15 minutes plus discussion.
Terms: Cash is money available now. Capacity is room to deliver work. A deposit brings cash and an obligation. A customer invoice is money owed, which may not yet be available to spend.
Scenario edition: September 8, 2026. This is an authored educational model with fixed consequences and no randomness. It simplifies taxes, timing, contracts and human behavior. It is not personalized financial or professional advice. Nothing is saved automatically. A kept comparison stays only in this tab; refresh or close it to clear both runs. Download or print before leaving to keep your review. Downloads include your reflection, so use fictional details. A downloaded text review is a readable record, not a file you can reopen as a game.