Product Pipeline

The Product Pipeline program is a corporate team building and training activity that includes fun and challenging interactive business simulation, encouraging participants to work together within small teams and the larger company. The metaphor? Delivering the product to the customer.

Each small group works as a “department” in an 8′×8′ area that is connected to the working areas of the other teams. The groups must use limited supplies to construct a marble delivery device that will transport a maximum number of marbles safely. The clincher is that each team’s section of the pipeline must interface with those before and after it.

Two project managers that you elect oversee everything and uncover customer needs. Your pipeline has a minimum marble “revenue” requirement to meet. Pipeline departments also have budgets that they can spend at a “store” for select purchases of materials. Your company’s marketing department must present a wonderfully creative presentation for the pipeline before the final moment of truth. A diversity of roles means a chance for everyone to participate.

Examples of parallels or analogies back to your workplace could include:

• The competing, but connected teams can be likened to departments, branches or work teams.
• The “client” requesting the pipeline to be built can be likened to external or internal customers.
• The groups within the activity can be likened to a company’s supply chain – from sales through to delivery etc.