Disaster Report Worksheet
Controlling Challenge: The Disaster Report
Galaxy Bowl Operations Management Response Sheet
Part 1 of 2
Management Team:
Team Members:
YOUR MISSION & THE CATCH
Your team has assumed management of Galaxy Bowl. For each Disaster Report: read the data, debate options, agree on a decision, and record your consensus.
The Catch: Decisions are irreversible! Your action may resolve one crisis or trigger an operational chain reaction. Welcome to management.
GALAXY BOWL: COMPANY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Keep Nearby
| Operational Area | Standard Metric | Operational Area | Standard Metric |
|---|
| Customer Wait Time | ≤ 8 min | Cleanliness Rating | ≥ 90% |
| Customer Satisfaction | ≥ 90% | Order Accuracy | ≥ 95% |
| Bowling Lanes Working | ≥ 95% | Labor Cost Ratio | ≤ 30% sales |
1 Disaster Report #1: Friday Night Chaos (6:30 PM)
Wait: 22 min vs Standard: ≤ 8 min | 8 Staff Total
A. Problem Diagnosis: What specific operational breakdown is Galaxy Bowl experiencing?
B. Team Action: How will you reassign your 8 staff members to cut wait times? (Must equal 8 staff total)
Front Counter (Current: 2)
_____ staff
Food Service (Current: 3)
_____ staff
Cleaning / Bussing (Current: 2)
_____ staff
Lanes Tech / Support (Current: 1)
_____ staff
C. Management Rationale: Why did your team select this staffing plan? What trade-off did you accept?
2 Disaster Report #2: Well... That Worked. Sort Of. (7:00 PM)
Wait: 12 min (↓) | Cleanliness: 71% (↓↓) Standard: ≥ 90%
A. Secondary Crisis: What unintended consequence or new problem has developed from your earlier choices?
B. Strategy Choice: Will you KEEP, CHANGE, or REPLACE your previous solution?
KEEP CHANGE REPLACE
C. Corrective Action Plan: Exactly what adjustments will your 8 employees execute right now to balance both crises?
Galaxy Bowl Operations • Department of Management • Business Controlling Simulation Turn page for Reports #3, #4, Final Scorecard & Controlling Process →
Controlling Challenge: Management Team Decisions & Debrief
Team: ________________________ Part 2 of 2
3 Disaster Report #3: The Data Is In
100 Complaints
A. Priority Target: Which problem will your team prioritize?
B. Data Defense: Why? Defend using data from the 100 complaints table:
4 Disaster #4: The $500 Decision
Budget: $500 Max
A. Budget Allocation: Which single option (A, B, C, D, or E) did you select?
B. Financial Justification: Why is this the best use of company funds?
Final Report Evaluation: One Week Later
Overall Success: YES SOMEWHAT NO
What operational areas improved?
What areas still need attention?
Evidence Summary: Cite specific final report metrics (Before vs. Standard vs. Now) supporting your verdict:
The Controlling Connection: Apply The 4-Step Managerial Framework
Core Business Standard
1 Establish a Standard
What goal or benchmark was Galaxy Bowl trying to achieve?
2 Measure Actual Performance
What was actually happening in the business data?
3 Compare Performance to Standard
Was Galaxy Bowl meeting the standard? How do you know?
4 Take Corrective Action
What specific managerial actions were taken to fix the gap?
Critical Question: Is the controlling process finished at Galaxy Bowl? Why or why not?
Galaxy Bowl Operations • Business Management Simulation Management Sign-Off: ___________________________ Date: ____________
Disaster Scenario Slides
Operations Simulation
CONTROLLING CHALLENGE: GALAXY BOWL
Role Management Team
The Situation
Your team has just taken over Galaxy Bowl. Operations are unravelling in real time.
THE CATCH:
Decisions are permanent once submitted. Watch for unintended chain reactions!
Company Performance Standards
Targets
Wait Time ≤ 8 minutes
Satisfaction ≥ 90%
Lanes Working ≥ 95%
Cleanliness ≥ 90%
Order Accuracy ≥ 95%
Labor Cost ≤ 30% sales
Collaborate with your team • Debate operational trade-offs Prepare for Disaster Report #1 →
1
6:30 PM • Peak Friday Surge
DISASTER REPORT #1: FRIDAY NIGHT CHAOS
Active Crisis
Performance Metric MASSIVE VARIANCE
Actual Wait Time 22 min
Company Standard ≤ 8 min
Current Staff Allocation 8 Employees (No Additions!)
Front Counter 2
Food Service 3
Cleaning Area 2
Bowling Lanes 1
Decision Window
03:00 3 Minutes Remaining
Your Team Directive:
How will you reassign your 8 staff members to cut wait times? Record on worksheet.
Once time expires, your staffing reallocation is final and locked in! Disaster Report #2 Follows →
2
7:00 PM • 30 Minutes Later
DISASTER REPORT #2: WELL... THAT WORKED. SORT OF.
Trade-off Alert
The Good News Wait time dropped:
22 min 12 min
Still above standard (≤ 8 min)
The Bad News Cleanliness collapsed:
71% Standard: ≥ 90%
Trash overflowing, dirty bathrooms
The Unintended Consequence:
Pulling staff away from cleaning resolved counter bottlenecks but triggered severe customer outrage about facility cleanliness. You still have only 8 employees.
Emergency Decision
03:00 3 Minutes Remaining
Core Decision Required:
KEEP CHANGE REPLACE
Circle your choice and write your revised plan.
How do managers balance competing standards with finite resources? Disaster Report #3 Follows →
3
Customer Feedback Audit
DISASTER REPORT #3: THE DATA IS IN
Sample: 100 Complaints
Customer Complaint Category Total / 100
Disaster Report Teacher Guide
Controlling Challenge: Teacher Guide
Galaxy Bowl Simulation Facilitation & Discussion Key
Teacher-Facing Resource
Duration: 35–45 Minutes
Grouping: Teams of 3–4
Unit: POLC • Controlling
Pacing: 3 Min Timed Rounds
Core Instructional Objectives
Students will: (1) Apply the 4 steps of the managerial controlling process in a dynamic operational crisis; (2) Experience how solving one metric can trigger unintended operational side-effects; (3) Use quantitative customer feedback (Pareto analysis) and budget constraints to prioritize interventions.
Recommended Lesson Pacing (total: ~40 mins)
5 Mins Intro & Company Standards Briefing
5 Mins Report #1: Friday Chaos (3m work + 2m share)
5 Mins Report #2: Cleanliness Drop (3m work + 2m share)
5 Mins Report #3: Complaint Data (3m work + 2m share)
15 Mins Report #4 ($500), Final Scorecard & Debrief
1 Report #1: Friday Night Chaos
Key Concept: Resource allocation under scarcity. Most teams shift staff from cleaning or lanes to the front counter (e.g., 4 counter, 2 food, 1 clean, 1 lane).
Teacher Note: Validate that total staff equals 8. Do not warn students about cleanliness yet—let the trade-off play out naturally!
2 Report #2: Unintended Consequences
Key Concept: Sub-optimization and ripple effects. Fixing wait times caused cleanliness to collapse from 90% standard to 71%.
Teacher Note: Ask teams selecting "CHANGE" or "REPLACE" how they plan to cycle employees between bussing and front counter without inflating wait times again.
3 Report #3: Customer Complaint Data
Key Concept: Data-driven prioritization (Pareto 80/20 rule). Long wait times (41) + Dirty facility (27) represent 68 of 100 complaints.
Teacher Note: Push back against teams trying to fix bowling lanes (13 complaints) or food orders (9) first. The data demands focusing on the top 2 drivers.
4 Report #4: The $500 Decision
Key Concept: ROI & financial constraints. Option A ($300 for 2 staff) directly adds capacity to front/cleaning while preserving $200 cash margin. Option C ($450 cleaning) provides immediate relief for facility scores.
Teacher Note: Option B (bonuses) boosts morale but adds zero floor capacity. Option E hoards cash while customer satisfaction sinks.
