LEGO is a leading company in the toy-making industry and the sixth-largest enterprise in the field. The word “lego” is an abbreviation of two Danish words, “leg godt,” which means “play well.” In Latin, the word means “I put together.” The Danish company was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, whose small carpentry workshop failed at providing wood supplies. She switched from the workshop business to wooden toys. Then, he bought an injection-molding machine and started to create toys using plastic materials. Nevertheless, Brick-toy manufacturing was launched in 1958, giving the company more ways to compete and opening the door to unlimited building capabilities.

The company has more than 5,000 employees around the world, and its main facilities are located in LEGOLAND in Denmark. The company has 12,500 warehouses and more than 11,000 suppliers. In addition to the production location in LEGOLAND, production sites are located in Switzerland, Czech Republic, the US and South Korea. Since the start of the company, LEGO has maintained a clear vision of “inventing the future of play.”

Universities, companies and supply chain institutions incorporate the use of Lego into curriculum or program, especially for Supply Chain simulations, to provide hands-on learning opportunities. These simulations allow professionals and students to go through a process, apply fundamental principles to a situation, for example Lean Manufacturing, and then see the outcome and benefits of operational excellence.

One of the simulation game is the Lego Truck Game that demonstrates the relationship between material and production control through a number of departments in a total supply chain. During the workshop, the key of Lean is taught the concepts and then illustrated them with the simulation or game. Moreover, the simulation game help to create teamwork and delegation skills.

Lego changed marketing  a toy to an educational tool. This strategy has been effective as it shows in the following videos. 

References:

• http://www.gamingworks.nl/gamification-how-playing-with-lego-can-potentially-save-millions-of-dollars/
• http://www.leansimulations.org/2011/02/lean-lego-game-4-rounds-to-successful.html
• http://www.everythingsupplychain.com/lego-supply-chain-simulation/
• https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/08/learning-creativity-innovation-from-lego/