A lesson in Tableau dashboard design: Playing the beer game with a real-time data connection

This article examines how students learn about data-driven decision-making by creating and using a dashboard to play an online version of the familiar Beer Game. The objective is to apply data visualization skills to a business system in a way that leads to effective decisions. The students not only build a dashboard in Tableau, they also use it as they make ordering decisions while playing a round of the Beer Game that has a seasonal ramp up/ramp down demand pattern. Our assessment indicates that the exercise provides an effective application of Tableau skills and raises awareness of important aspects of dashboard design. We continue to improve the exercise to emphasize that analytics solutions can only be developed with a solid understanding of the business system.