Logistics simulators in education: the Tarnekratt story
Vocational education has a problem: we teach theory, but workplaces want practice. The gap is especially large in logistics, where one wrong decision can cost thousands of euros.
In a real company, a student can't experiment. "Order less and see what happens" isn't an option when consequences are real.
In a simulation, it is.
Why we built Tarnekratt
Working with Tallinn Industrial Education Centre, we saw the problem: logistics students know theory but can't apply it. They know that "inventory optimization is important" - but they've never seen what happens when it goes wrong.
The simulator solves this: students manage a virtual supply chain and immediately see how their decisions affect costs, inventory, and customer satisfaction.
You can learn more about Tarnekratt on our services page.
What research says
Simulation-based learning isn't a new idea. Meta-analyses show that:
- Simulations increase knowledge retention by 75% compared to lectures
- Problem-based learning improves application skills by 20-30%
- Immediate feedback is one of the most powerful learning factors
Simulation combines all three.
How Tarnekratt works
Students get: - A virtual warehouse with starting inventory - List of suppliers (different prices, delivery times, minimum quantities) - Customer orders (varying, sometimes unexpected) - Budget constraint
Their job is to make decisions:
1. Ordering How much to order? When? From which supplier?
2. Inventory management What's the optimal stock? What happens when goods run out? What happens when there's too much in storage?
3. Transport Which vehicle? Which route? Fast but expensive vs slow but cheap?
4. Reacting Supplier delays. Customer cancels. Demand doubles. What do you do?
Every decision's consequence is visible immediately: costs, inventory, customer satisfaction, profit.
Results from the first year
| Metric | Traditional | With simulation |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge test (average) | 68% | 81% |
| Application exercise | 52% correct | 74% correct |
| Student engagement | "Boring" | "Want more" |
These aren't a scientific study - these are one school's data. But the trend is clear.
What we learned
1. Permission to fail is critically important
In simulation, you can fail. And failure teaches more than success. Workflow automation uses a similar principle – students see how wrong setup affects results.
One student ordered too little on the first try, lost a major client, and remembered it. Next time, they planned differently.
2. Competition element works
We didn't expect this, but students started making their own leaderboards. "I got better profit than you." Even those who weren't interested in logistics started optimizing.
3. Simple is better than complex
The first version was too complex. Too many variables, too many buttons. We simplified and results improved.
Who can use Tarnekratt?
Tarnekratt is currently used at Tallinn Industrial Education Centre. We're developing it further and looking for partners:
- Vocational institutions teaching logistics
- Companies wanting to train new employees
- Schools wanting to experiment with simulation-based learning
If you're interested in Tarnekratt, contact us.
Summary
Simulation-based learning doesn't replace practice – it prepares for it. And it makes learning genuinely interesting. Learn more about our educational technology services.