Program | suPlay

Academic Course

4–5 lectures · 1.5–2 hours each

Spread across weeks, each session combines a focused lecture with a gameplay round. Ideal for integration into university curricula.

Corporate Training

2 days

An immersive two-day workshop with training sessions, four gameplay rounds, debriefing and an award ceremony.

Full experience

One-Day Intensive

1 day

A condensed format covering the core modules and three gameplay rounds in a single day. Perfect for teams with limited availability.

Compact

Academic Course

Lecture Series (4–5 Sessions)

Designed for integration into university curricula. Each session combines a focused lecture on procurement theory with a hands-on gameplay round, giving students time to absorb and reflect between sessions. The spaced format deepens learning and is equivalent to 2 ECTS credits.

1

Introduction & First Round

1.5–2 hours

Introduction to purchasing and supply management fundamentals. Students are briefed on the Beertown Brewery scenario and play their first round, making initial strategic decisions under uncertainty.

2

Sourcing Levers & Cost Optimisation

1.5–2 hours

Lecture on the Lever analysis framework and cost-optimisation strategies. Students apply these levers in gameplay Round 2, followed by a review of how their decisions affected outcomes.

3

Supplier Satisfaction & Preferred Customer

1.5–2 hours

Lecture on the supplier satisfaction model and preferred customer theory. In Round 3, students experience how investing in supplier relationships unlocks better prices, priority allocation and cooperation on innovation.

4

Innovation, Risk & Final Round

1.5–2 hours

Lecture on exploiting supplier innovation potential and managing supply chain risk. Round 4 challenges students to balance innovation investments against risk exposure. Followed by a comprehensive debriefing: students analyse their performance trajectory across all rounds and extract key takeaways.

5

Bonus Round & Exam Preparation

1.5–2 hours Optional

An optional fifth session for students who want to go deeper. Play a bonus round incorporating all strategies, then review performance data in detail to prepare for the exam.

This session can be added when a five-lecture format is preferred, or combined with Session 4 in an extended block.

Flexible Integration

Sessions can be scheduled weekly, biweekly or in a block format. The game state persists between sessions, so students build on prior decisions. The course can stand alone or be embedded within a broader purchasing module.

Assessment

Student performance is tracked across all rounds, providing data for grading. The game is equivalent to 2 ECTS and comes with a configurable teaching set including slides, exercises and discussion guides.

Corporate Training

Two-Day Workshop

The full suPlay experience. Two days of training, gameplay and reflection, designed for professional purchasers and procurement teams. Participants progress from Junior Buyer to CPO across four rounds, building skills in cost optimisation, supplier satisfaction, innovation and risk management.

Day 1