[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-246714-105":53,"doc-detail-246714-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","oberstone-teaching-inventory-management-simulation-using-e-learning-software","Oberstone - Teaching Inventory Management Simulation Using E-Learning Software","","Introducing the nuances of inventory management systems for undergraduate business students can be challenging. This paper demonstrates how students can gain insight through easy-to-run, downloadable Excel spreadsheet simulation templates within a Blackboard course website, rather than only generating answers. It explains how students self-correct, examine subtle issues, and how an instructor uses online software to guide them in real time, with optional video capture. A hypothetical AT&T iPhone inventory case is used to illustrate the approach.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":11,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/presentations/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/oberstone-teaching-inventory-management-simulation-using-e-learning-software/246714/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/oberstone-teaching-inventory-management-simulation-using-e-learning-software/246714.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Sarah ","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-26","2026-09-12",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":30},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"What is the purpose of the paper’s inventory management simulation approach?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"It illustrates how students can build insight through downloadable Excel spreadsheet simulation templates and how these support learning beyond merely producing answers.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"How does the Excel template support quick changes between different inventory systems?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"The template can be quickly converted (“flipped”) from one simulated inventory operation to another, enabling analysis of different product/dealership scenarios within minutes.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How are simulation parameters generated and the 30-day cycle executed?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"The template uses input costs, supplier discount tables, and probability distributions for random variables to generate demand and lead-time values, then runs a 30-day business cycle replicated 200 times for selected Q-R combinations.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},246714,1791733181,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":8,"category_name":11,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":30,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":135,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":140,"read_time":76},962085320529,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","Teaching Inventory Management Simulation Using E-Learning Software:  \nBlackboard, Elluminate Live!, and Jing  \nJoel Oberstone, Professor  \nUniversity of San Francisco/School of Business and Management, San Francisco, CA 94117  \nAbstract—Introducing the nuances of inventory management systems to undergraduate business students can be a daunting task. Beyond the traditional focus of the selection of order quantity and reorder point lie more murky considerations such as the impact that stockout cost and supplier selection have on these key parameters, including profit. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how students can cultivate insights of business simulation settings through easy-to-run, downloadable Excel spreadsheet templates from within their Blackboard-driven course website beyond merely grinding out “answers.” This paper shows not only how the simulation templates are employed but also how students can use them to self-correct problems they might encounter during the learning process, how to examine more subtle issues, and how the instructor can use online software to guide students in real time, regardless of the distance that may separate them. Further, while these interactions are taking place, a video software file can be made to memorialize the online learning and can be easily uploaded to the student for their later use should they wish to practice the process. A hypothetical case example of AT&T’s management of the Apple iPhone inventory is used to illustrate the process.  \nIndex Terms—Spreadsheet simulation, inventory management, E-Learning.  \nINTRODUCTION  \nIn many real-world settings, the depletion pattern of inventories and the lead time necessary to replenish the falling stock do not follow convenient, algebraicallystructured models. Instead, these variables often follow unique, random distributions that can only be defined by empirical data collection and their uncertain behavior, illustrated through simulation.  \nAlthough there are numerous simulation software products available, the proficiency needed to effectively employ them can involve a relatively steep learning curve [1, 2] . This is particularly true when it comes to a single semester or quarter QBA course offering since it is only one of the several techniques in the total array of skills tobe covered [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] . Even though simpler simulation tools such as Excel spreadsheet add-ins Crystal Ball [10] and @RISK [11] are available, neither is crossplatform and both require an additional expense to either  \nthe student or university or both. 1 Additionally, both Crystal Ball and @RISK require moderate skills to create the additional features of a discounted inventory system characterized by uncertain demand and stock lead time [12, 13, 14, 15, 16] .  \nPHASE I—EXCEL SPREADSHEET INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SIMULATION TEMPLATE: A QUICK-CHANGE DESIGN  \nAs an alternative to simulation software, a baseline, ready-to-run Excel inventory management template is stored at my Blackboard website that can downloaded by enrolled students at any time and as often as needed. Aversion of this spreadsheet is shown in Figure 1.  \nThere are numerous advantages to using selfcontained spreadsheets. One of the most important features of this proposed spreadsheet is its ability to be quickly converted into the “next” inventory system to be simulated, e.g., the template that is, say, initially used to analyze the operation of a Pirelli Tire dealership inventory system can be easily “flipped” into a Best Buy analysis of its Canon digital camera inventory in a matter of a few minutes. Additionally, the spreadsheet has amultilevel product discount table to address the possible advantages of larger purchase quantities. A detailed description of the spreadsheet operation is given in Appendix A.  \nTemplate Input Parameters  \nThe baseline spreadsheet template uses the following data to generate the best inventory management parameters, Q * and R* :2  \n􀀡 Product holding, ","cbCain2svg7YsFvM","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCain2svg7YsFvM","pdf",1919410,7,"English","# Introduction\n## Inventory behavior and simulation rationale\n## Limitations of existing simulation tools\n# Phase I: Excel spreadsheet inventory management simulation template\n## Quick-change design\n## Template input parameters\n## Template output and performance parameters","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of the paper’s inventory management simulation approach?\",\"answer\":\"It illustrates how students can build insight through downloadable Excel spreadsheet simulation templates and how these support learning beyond merely producing answers.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the Excel template support quick changes between different inventory systems?\",\"answer\":\"The template can be quickly converted (“flipped”) from one simulated inventory operation to another, enabling analysis of different product/dealership scenarios within minutes.\"},{\"question\":\"How are simulation parameters generated and the 30-day cycle executed?\",\"answer\":\"The template uses input costs, supplier discount tables, and probability distributions for random variables to generate demand and lead-time values, then runs a 30-day business cycle replicated 200 times for selected Q-R combinations.\"}]","Oberstone - Teaching Inventory Management Simulation Using E-Learning Software | PDF",1789237651]