Gamified Logistics Simulation for the Advancement of Decision Making and Complex Thinking in Learning Environments

This article is the result of a research project that integrates a logistics simulator, which brings together a series of activities to train and strengthen higher education students, particularly in the field of engineering, in disciplinary topics such as forecasting, inventories, production, and process optimization through logistics and administrative decision-making. Using a participatory research methodology with a case study approach, an analysis is conducted on how the Logistic Simulator (called LOST), based on gamification methodology, helps to promote the acquisition of skills from an integrative perspective of complex thinking. The results lead to the identification of decision-making processes carried out through the game features that participants must fulfill to identify the best interrelationships of the defined production variables in the simulator, such as the quantity of pieces to produce, the amount of raw material to consume, and the products to request from suppliers. The findings enable the identification of an interrelationship between decision-making, as experienced through the LOST simulator, and the cultivation of complex logistic decision-making skills in engineering students from nine participating countries. This interrelationship is characterized by the consideration of various combinations, interrelationships, and interdependencies, along with their non-linear effects. Such dynamics can effectively mirror real-world scenarios, striking a balance between efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction.