Component Game

Departmental - functional relationships (financial); Business finance; Business startegy; Management accounting

Can you match your production quality with your sales price and with your marketing activities to achieve business success? The company operates in four different markets all of which behave differently. The situation is further complicated by the competition. Can you stay ahead of them or will their strategies prove more successful?

• A computer simulation for groups of 3-6 members with six teams competing together.
• Needs between five and twelve hours, which can be split into discrete time periods, depending on the objectives set.

Director

Departmental-functional relationships (financial); Business strategy; Business finance

A group of ambitious entrepreneurs are seeking finance to enter a recently privatised sector. Their first step is to gain funding by submitting a business plan to the bank manager. If successful they will become the board of a limited company with ambitions to go public in five years time. Have they got the skills to plan ahead and manage their performance? Will their dreams become a reality?

• A computer simulation for groups of 3-6 members with up to 6 teams competing together.
• Needs up to 8 hours, which can be split into discrete time periods, depending on the objectives set.

Financit

Business finance; Business strategy

The market is fiercely competative, the only things that matter to the customer being price and immediate availability. The company has to generate sufficient money to cover its investment costs, otherwise its technology will become outdated. Its competitors have cut their prices how should the company react? Should it adopt a price reduction strategy itself?

• A computer simulation for groups of 3-6 members.
• It can accommodate up to six groups.
• Needs about three hours.

Lawn Trimmers

Decision-making; Business finance; Business strategy

Preliminary market research will help you decide which is the most profitable market segment to enter, the size of factory required and the type of product to offer. You must then determine your sales and advertising policies and match these with your production decisions. Each round you will need to re-assess your strategy to take account of competitor decisions.

• A computer simulation for groups of 3-6 members.
• One tutor can manage up to 6 teams.
• Needs between 3 and 5 hours.

Multimarket

Business strategy; Business - international; Risk management

You have a secure home market but need access to new markets to satisfy your expansion plans. There are three immediate possibilities each with different political and economic conditions. Will you be able to trade and/or manufacture in them? If you do will you be able to repatriate the profits or will currency restrictions and despotic rulers prevent you?

• A computer simulation for teams of 3-6 members with 6 teams competing together.
• Needs between four and eight hours, which can be split into discrete periods, depending on the objectives set.

On Stream

Project management; Business finance

How quickly can you get the new factory extension up and running? Every week you spend planning and building costs money. You need to get the project 'on stream' and generating revenue as quickly as possible. Which actions should you take now? Which actions can be delayed until next month? Have you considered all the knock-on effects?

• A discussion exercise using a computer simulation to assess performance.
• The exercise is designed for groups of 1-6 members.
• One tutor can manage up to three groups.
• Needs between two and three hours.

Planning Game

Planning (production); Business finance; Departmental - functional relationships (financial)

Anyone managing a process needs to maintain a steady flow of goods and services. Whether the process is an office or a factory the principles are the same; identify the critical areas, estimate the future demand and monitor the process. This exercise encourages participants to visualise the process and consider all the possible outcomes.

• A board game for groups of 1-4 members.
• It comes with materials for six groups.
• Needs between one and two hours.

Way Forward

Business strategy; Teamwork (Board level)

As the board of this company you need to ensure that the company portrays a consistent image. You will have to consider the company's financial strategy and ensure that the policies it adopts towards its customers and suppliers support it. A company that charges high prices for a premium product but is unprepared to support its partners will be severely punished by its customers.

• A computer simulation for groups of 4-6 members each with between 3 and 6 teams competing together.
• The first period requires between 60-90 minutes and there are five periods if the game is played to the end.
• These periods can be broken up and interspersed with other activities.
  

Whurps

Business finance; Business strategy; Inter-personal skills; Departmental-functional relationships

Demand for the product exists; Have you got sufficient supplies? Can you balance demand and supply, costs and revenues, production and marketing? Can you do all this while at the same time watching out for predatory competitors? Do you have all the skill to build your company into a successful group or will you be absorbed by a more successful one?

• A dice based simulation for groups of 1-6 members.
• It comes with materials for 10 groups.
• Needs between one and three hours depending on the level of sophistication required.

Conglomerate

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