How a tailored supply chain simulation sharpened cross-functional working at BT

The client

BT's internal supply chain team is responsible for keeping around 23,000 engineers supplied on a daily basis, managing logistics, transport, and warehousing across the business. The team also runs EE warehousing and transport, and is accountable for both internal employee supply and consumer-facing deliveries, including televisions, games consoles, and mobile phones. It is a large, multifaceted operation, with a workforce that spans warehouse managers, transport managers, supplier managers, and data and transformation specialists.

Client need

BT runs an annual development event for its supply chain leaders. The team wanted a format that was immersive and immediately relevant to their day-to-day work, while still challenging people and encouraging them to think differently.

Having previously used a more complex simulation from a different provider that participants had found difficult to navigate, BT was looking for something more intuitive and engaging. The goal was an experience that would bring the team together, sharpen cross-functional working, and feel genuinely tailored to their world.

Solution

Business Simulations delivered the Flow supply chain simulation as the centrepiece of BT's annual event. Flow mirrors the core challenges of running a modern supply chain, from logistics and transport to warehousing and stock management, with enough of a twist to take participants beyond their everyday roles.

The simulation was facilitated by members from BT's supply chain team, supported throughout by the Business Simulations team. This blended facilitation model meant the experience drew on both deep knowledge of the simulation and the facilitators’ first-hand understanding of the audience, their roles, and the realities of BT's operation. An introductory video, produced by Business Simulations and tailored to the session, set the scene and helped participants step into the scenario quickly.

Participants worked in cross-functional teams. The sponsor deliberately mixed roles, placing people outside their usual specialism, for example moving supplier managers away from supply management, to encourage richer cross-functional conversations and challenge familiar habits.

The session was built around discovery learning. Rather than being handed answers, participants learned by making decisions, seeing the consequences play out in real time, and working through the guides and materials together to find their own way forward.

Results

“An intuitive, accessible experience”

The simulation was widely regarded as intuitive and easy to use, allowing participants to focus on decisions and collaboration rather than wrestling with the mechanics. This was a clear step up from BT's previous experience, where complexity had got in the way of learning.

Cross-functional working

By mixing roles and grouping people across functions, the session generated exactly the kind of cross-functional collaboration BT wanted. Participants challenged one another, sought advice across specialisms, and communicated in ways that reflected how effective supply chain teams operate in practice.

Relevant, with a challenge

Because Flow closely mirrored BT's daily operations, the subject matter felt immediately recognisable. The deliberate twist, both in the scenario and in the mixed roles, kept people out of their comfort zones and ensured the experience was challenging as well as relevant.

Real-world transfer

A standout outcome was how readily participants connected the simulation back to their own work, reflecting on how they would handle similar situations in their real roles. This grounding in lived experience supported lasting learning rather than abstract theory.

An engaged, energised room

Rather than a passive, lecture-style day, the event was active, collaborative, and competitive in the best sense. Participants stayed engaged throughout, and the format created the atmosphere and momentum that BT had been looking for.

Customer insight

This was a real step up from what we had run before. It was intuitive, easy to get into, and the ability to tailor it to our world made all the difference. Mixing up the roles pushed people out of their comfort zones and brought out the best in the team, and what struck me most was how quickly everyone related it back to how we would handle these situations at work. The feedback from the group was excellent, and they genuinely enjoyed it.

Allan Lane, Senior Supply Chain Manager - BT