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An easy-to-play interactive computer simulation
which offers powerful insights into core business concepts such as business planning,
market segmentation, costing, pricing and return on assets. Success depends on
the participants' ability to survey the market, establish the characteristics of
the product to be offered, devise a suitable marketing strategy and create a production
facility appropriate to the probable level of sales. The emphasis on a small number
of variables means the tutor can follow the debate within the teams and use the
exercise to study the decision making process, inter-personal skills and group
co-operation. The exercise is designed for groups of 3-6 members with each tutor
able to manage about six teams. The exercise takes between 3 and 5 hours.
OBJECTIVE
The exercise will:
- Improve participants understanding of primary
business and economic relationships;
- Show how different functional activities fit
together;
- Provide decision making practice against a realistic
background;
- Develop participants inter-personal skills.
HOW IT WORKS
The steps of play will be influenced by the primary objective of the exercise.
Is it to gain an understanding of the basic financial relationships or the decision
making process? If the former then the tutor may introduce the exercise by ‘going
through’ a decision sheet and then requiring teams to complete their own
financial data in each successive round. If the latter, then they may start by
introducing the decision making process which can be evaluated as the game progresses.
All calculations can be handled by the computer program. Once the tutor has set
the scene participants can be given a copy of the Player’s instructions.
These describe the market which the teams will be entering and delineate options
about the size of the factory they can establish, and the quantity of product
they can offer. These must be fixed in round one of the game. Thereafter they
can take fresh decisions in each time period regarding the production quantity
and their marketing strategy. After each round the participants are told what
happened as a result of their decisions and are asked to examine the data before
making decisions for the next round.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS WILL BE DOING
Studying written data about an imaginary company and its situation; debating alternative
strategies; making decisions and entering these on a form; analysing the computer
generated financial and operational reports; observing the strategies of competitors
and trying to frustrate them.
FOR WHAT LEVELS IS IT APPROPRIATE?
All levels up to and including middle management. Students of business and management.
INCLUDED
Tutor manual; Player's instructions; Program disc and all supporting documentation
COST
90 day license £230 plus Vat and delivery
Full license £630 plus VAT and delivery
CONSULTANCY VERSION
Includes a copy of the packaged game and tutor backup on the first day the exercise
is used costs £630 plus VAT and expenses. More
details
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