This document discusses developing a serious game to teach product-service system (PSS) design principles. Originally created for Rolls-Royce, the game simulates designing and servicing washing machines to maximize profits. Players make design choices from catalogs considering factors like lifetime and costs. Moving the game online would make it more accessible and flexible for training. The proposed architecture would drive the simulation in Unity 3D and allow virtual interactions like interviews to teach PSS concepts remotely.

1. Pangiotis Petridis, Victoria Uren, Andrew Harrison
Developing a Serious
Game for PSS

4. Business models
Costs Income Costs Income
Traditional Manufacturer PSS

5. Design for Service
Improve:
Efficiency
Reliability
Ease of Servicing
Production costs may rise to reduce whole life costs
…this is counter intuitive for many designers
…but essential for economic viability of PSS.

6. History
Developed by Rolls-Royce
Used in scheduled Design for Service training sessions in
the company
Also used at Cranfield University
Language of participants shifts towards PSS rather than
manufacturing focus
First steps in cultural change
Engaging and memorable

7. Scenario
The game concerns the design and servicing of
washing machines for a customer who runs a chain of
laundrettes. Teams each represent competitors in the
washing machine market and the aim is to maximise
profits.

8. Round 1
3 design choices from
catalogue of parts
Low cost options typically
chosen
Feedback provided as
Analyst’s report
produced using Monte
Carlo simulation
Learning point –
understanding the
requirement is key

9. Round 2
Interview a service
engineer
remake 3 design choices
considering
component lifetime and
cost per year
Learning point – a little
service information
goes a long way

10. Round 3
Only 2 design choices
available
Players must be more
selective and focus
efforts on KPIs
Learning point – service
costs aren’t linear, a
few key drivers are key

11. Round 4
Only 1 design choice
available
No longer constrained by
the catalogue –
facilitator applies cost
& lifetime based on the
catalogue
Learning point –
innovation is a major
opportunity

12. Limitations of the Face to Face game
Only suitable for scheduled training
Not usable for on-boarding
Not usable remotely, e.g. as part of a MOOC
Need to redesign the game as a self-contained virtual
learning environment.

13. Requirements
1. Taught elements to be embedded within the game
environment.
2. Interview with the service engineer to be delivered
virtually, e.g. using an avatar.
3. Illusion of competition to be maintained even in a
single player game.

14. Proposed Architecture
Drives the simulation,
provides & interprets
each step of the game
Stores
scenarios and
game data
Renders the game
environment in Unity 3D,
generates end-of-round
reports, handles
interactions between
player & NPC
Abstracts the logic to access data,
interacts with offline services e.g. caching

15. Summary
Serious games present opportunities to change working
culture and mind sets to enable business
transformation
Moving from paper games to virtual gaming environments
enables more flexible training delivery