Siemens Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of "Plantville" Game

Since its launch one year ago, Plantville, an online game from Siemens that simulates the experience of being a plant manager, has attracted more than 21,000 players in more than 160 countries and been recognized by numerous business awards, the company says. To mark the occasion, the company has announced several new features, including industrial productivity scores, competition capabilities and several new design elements on the Plantville homepage (plantville.com).

The new industrial productivity score measures productivity based on a standard formula that results in a cost-per-day total. The formula combines five key costs of production: raw materials, wages, overhead, energy and asset depreciation.       

 

“The virtual activity in Plantville mimics the real-world environment where plant managers continually watch key performance indicators (KPIs) and strive to maximize productivity and efficiency,” says Raj Batra, president, Industry Automation division, Siemens Industry.

 

Players will now also have the ability to form teams and compete against one another for highest score and KPI value. Competitions can be initiated by any registered Plantville player. Of the more than 700 educational institutions that play Plantville, several have held competitions among their students, the company notes. One such school is a charter school in Atlanta—Tech High—where CEO Steven Walker says his students are able to hone their problem solving and critical thinking skills, as well as their ability to collaborate as a team.“These are vital 21st century skills and abilities that are in high demand by employers today,” Mr. Walker says.

 

Users will also notice some changes when they visit the Plantville homepage: Plantville product inquiry; Google social media; the Plantville awards highlight area; the Plantville merchandise link; and the Siemens virtual Answers for Industry (AFI) link.

 

The game has also expanded internationally. Siemens Netherlands recently launched their own version of Plantville.