These DCSS™ scenarios illustrate aspects of integrative IPOM and ERP. They include:

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(a) Department-focused DCSS™ scenarios

• Production orientation (TSCProduction): This scenario focuses on the shop floor where students manage a one-product, four-machine production line. The setup allows them to experience production efficiency with various random characteristics and the basic concepts of balancing a production line.
• Purchasing orientation (TSCPurchasing): Here students have to contend with a stochastic demand for two raw materials (with limited shelf life) from two possible suppliers to meet the material requirements of a single final product. The goal here is to make supply meet demand while keeping costs down.
• Operations orientation (TSCOperations): This scenario combines production and purchasing through the manufacture of two final products. Students need to develop policies for dispatching, MRP scheduling, run frequencies and alignment between purchasing and shop floor needs.

(b) Organization focused DCSS™ scenarios (see figure 1)

• Marketing-operations orientation (TSC): Marketing demand impact is added to the production and purchasing aspects. Students may change marketing policies to increase customer demand. The challenge is to obtain maximum profit without hurting the company's reputation. The scenario incorporates all the TSC Operations scope (as described above) with additional marketing demand impact. Students may change marketing policies to increase customer demand. They are challenged to balance the whole organization value-chain resources aimed at increasing profit. The challenge is to obtain maximum profit without harming the company's reputation.
• MRP orientation (TSCMRP): This scenario enables the student to switch from the "reorder point purchasing model" of the TSC scenario to the MRP inventory replenishment mechanism. It enables students to practice the mechanism, and to learn how to understand and gain control over the various fluctuating events that affect this sensitive mechanism.
• ERP/MRP orientation (ERP/MRP): This is a real semi-complex environment with a fairly good integrative information system. The company sells three different products, based on four raw materials and produced by six different machines. It faces a highly uncertain market demand, with a big seasonal peak.

Figure 1: DCSS™ scenarios suite