CASE STUDY CONCEPT: Supply chains of the Roman Empire had much in common with modern supply chains. Supply chains then and now require development of good mental models to understand them and keep them working well. Some ancient supply chains can also teach us lessons about sustainability that we could use today.
It is the year 300 AD, and you have just been promoted to the head of a large trading company dealing in olive oil. This company is owned by one of the wealthiest families in Roman Africa – the Septimii. They come from the city of Leptis Magna and they own extensive olive growing estates in the province of Tripolitania. You are a major player in the lucrative olive oil business that supplies the city of Rome. Are you up to the challenge of running this company and the supply chain that supports it?
In this case study you will see a supply chain as complex as many modern supply chains even though it operated a long time ago. The basic tasks involved in moving products from one place to another have not changed that much over the centuries (only the technology used to perform those tasks). As you run simulations and see the results, you will start to form an intuitive understanding or “mental model” of how this supply chain works.
This supply chain moved olive oil, wheat, and dates from provinces in Roman North Africa to supply the City of Rome
You will use your mental model to see where to make improvements to keep this supply chain running as efficiently as you can. The Romans didn’t have computers, and even simple math was pretty complicated… have you ever tried to do calculations with Roman numerals? So they must have relied on mental models or professional judgement based on years of experience in order to manage the complexity and keep their supply chains running. This skill in forming good mental models is still critical for managing supply chains today, maybe even more so!
