If you’re a trucker you’re not exactly Santa Claus, but once a year you have the same job and face the same problems – delivering lots of VIPs (Very Important Packages) to lots of addresses in harsh weather and within a very short time window. Could you do it? Smart Trucker Challenge: Holiday Edition gives you a chance to find out.
The rules of the game are simple enough. You drive your truck along a simple street plan to collect and deliver toys. The better your routes (shortest time, least number of miles) the better your chance of saving Christmas.
The original, non-festive version of Smart Trucker Challenge made its debut at two international supply chain events this year: The 31st International Supply Chain Conference in Berlin and DELMIA Quintiq World Tour in Istanbul.
At both events, players were mainly logistics executives – men and women used to pressure, constraints and making quick decisions. Still, “many were sweating to get their parcels delivered,” says Melanie Oeldorf of DELMIA Quintiq’s Logistics Business Unit. Melanie organized the games at the events.
She jokes: “They didn’t like it when they couldn’t turn around on a street, but they understand constraints and realized they had planned their route badly.”
Professor Dr Joachim Schmidt of the University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen on the Rhine, saw teaching opportunities in the game as well. He was so impressed that he plans to use it in his logistics class.
Not that you have to be a CEO, student or even a trucker to test your skills. The full version of the game can also be played on Facebook or downloaded for free as an app. Merry Christmas.
Smart Trucker Challenge is the latest game by the company whose mission is to ‘solve the world’s planning puzzles.’ For years the DELMIA Quintiq career’s department has used an online planning challenge (ComBUStion) to attract brainy candidates; if their score is high enough, they can bypass the first level of interviews. The Christmas game WrapStar had players running around helping elves wrap gifts quickly and in the right order to fulfill Santa’s Christmas list. And earlier this year the super stellar strategy game Amazing Space Race became the company’s first game app and social media release.
Smart Trucker Challenge most closely reflects challenges faced by DELMIA Quintiq customers (who, by and large, are elf-less and earth-bound). It has also become the most popular game by far – the first to merit a holiday spin-off.
So if you are filled with seasonal goodwill, always wanted to drive a big rig, or just plain enjoy solving puzzles as much as we do, take up the challenge. Show-ho-ho-ho us what a smart trucker you can be. Play the game!
Join the fun on Twitter with the hashtag #SmartTrucker.
Contributed by Amy De Kanter.
