Zensimu vs Harvard/Forio
Modern supply chain training demands flexibility, engagement, and cost-efficiency—without the overhead of rigid tools. See why instructors choose Zensimu's Beer Game for scalable, high-impact simulations at half the price.
Let's dive into the details ↓
Why are teams choosing Zensimu over Harvard Business Publishing (Forio)?
Ease of Use
Zensimu is designed for smooth facilitation. Players can join sessions pre-assigned or randomly, the instructor controls the start time, and multiple rounds can be played with or without collaboration. No rigid setup needed.
Customization
Zensimu allows you to tailor scenarios to match your industry—add supply constraints, change lead times, or simulate disruptions. This flexibility leads to more meaningful discussions.
Engagement
Players quickly understand the game using Zensimu’s onboarding videos or slides. The isometric visuals and animations make it easier (and more fun) to engage with the simulation.
Price
Zensimu is significantly more affordable than the Harvard version—for both universities and companies—making it a practical choice for larger groups or repeated sessions.
A smooth experience for instructors and players
Zensimu is built to simplify the setup and management of sessions. The platform automatically detects which roles should be played by the computer, meaning you don’t need to predefine who plays what. You can also adjust the number of teams, rounds, or players on the fly.
Hosting a large session? You’ll appreciate features like a real-time dashboard to track progress, send messages, or pause games. Everything is designed to give you more control—with less effort.
Key features include:
Run large-scale sessions with dozens of teams and 1000+ participants.
Let players join freely or pre-assign roles—your choice.
Track team status and progress live from a central dashboard.
Control the pace with global timers, in-game messages, and pause functions.
A simulation that grows with your needs
Unlike Harvard’s fixed setup, Zensimu lets you modify game scenarios to fit your audience. You can simulate industry-specific challenges, introduce variability, or add quizzes at the end to reinforce learning.
Debriefing is also more powerful. Zensimu allows comparisons across teams or simulation runs to show how strategies improved over time. You can even save and share templates within your organization to run consistent sessions at scale.
With Zensimu, learners benefit from:
Customize lead times, delays, disruptions, and constraints to match real-world scenarios.
Adapt scenarios for different business units, roles, or levels of experience.
Save your setups as templates and re-use them throughout the year.
Share simulations across instructors for consistent delivery at scale.
More affordable
When exploring options for a Beer Game simulation, cost efficiency is a major consideration, and Zensimu offers a more affordable solution compared to Harvard's Forio platform.
Check below the price per player:
| Audience | Zensimu | Harvard/Forio |
|---|---|---|
| Universities | $5-$15 | $16 |
| Companies | $20–$35 | $48 |
Quick Comparison Table
| Zensimu | Harvard/Forio | |
|---|---|---|
| Instructor dashboard | ✅ Monitor teams advancement, trigger messages/pause for specific teams, add or remove players/teams easily | ⚠️ View teams advancement but less control when the simulation has started |
| Visual interface | ✅ Immersive view, animated flows | ⚠️ Mostly Text and Table-based |
| Invite Players options | ✅ Pre-assign on Excel or Random-assign. Invite via 6-digit code, QR, or secret link | ⚠️ Requires stricter setup with LMS integration, and manual coordination |
| Game customization | ✅ Tailor scenarios to your industry, adjust lead times, add constraints, schedule disruptions, complex network | ⚠️ Number of weeks, demand pattern and lead times. No "collaborative" mode. |
| Debriefing Modes | ✅ Debriefing report for the instructor and the players. Compare teams and rounds, add Quiz or Survey | ✅ Debriefing report with multiple charts |
| Teams | ✅ Multi-instructor management, shared templates, saved sessions | ❌ Single instructor only |
| Support | ✅ Powerpoint / Help center / Email / Video call | ✅ Powerpoint / Teaching note |
| Price | ✅ 5$-35$ per player | ❌ 16$-48$ per player |
Don't just take our word for it.
Which one’s right for you?
Choose Harvard if your LMS is already integrated with the Harvard Business Publishing catalog—it might make sense administratively. In all other cases, Zensimu's Beer Game offers more flexibility, better customization, a smoother user experience, and a more budget-friendly model—without compromising on quality.
That’s why educators and teams worldwide rely on Zensimu to deliver supply chain training that’s practical and memorable. Curious how it works? Sign up for a free instructor account — play solo games and explore all features at your own pace.