A Simulation Based on Goldratt's Matchstick/Die Game

This teaching brief presents a Microsoft^® Excel simulation designed to complement and expand upon the well‐known matchstick/die game introduced by Goldratt in The Goal. This simulation performs 100 replications of a 40‐period processing run for low, medium, and high levels of process variation and displays the comparative results graphically. A single keystroke repeats the process and updates the displays so that the stability of the essential conclusions in the face variation is illustrated dynamically. Suggestions for using the simulation in class are included.