Product Pipeline

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

Each small team or “department” of 5 to 10 people works in an 8′×8′ area that is connected to the working areas of the other teams. The “departments” must use limited supplies (PVC piping, balloons, bamboo stakes, rope and tying materials, etc.) 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 the project 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. There is also an opportunity to perform more than one round of marble delivery along the entire length of the structure to examine best practices and process improvement. 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.

This innovative team building program includes a debrief by a trained facilitator around team effectiveness, communication, seeing the big picture, and time and resource management. Consider adding our Play to Win program for a  1/2 day of customized team building.