An interactive computer simulation which looks at the risks and opportunities attached to international operations. At the start of the exercise each team has a manufacturing facility and a market in their home country they also receive information about the possible opportunities in three notional foreign countries. The teams must decide whether it would be profitable to trade and/or manufacture in these countries. This decision will be affected by political conditions, economic conditions and currency fluctuations all of which change from one month to the next. The exercise is designed for teams of 3-6 members with 6 teams in each league. The exercise requires between four and eight hours, which can be split into discrete time periods, depending on the objectives set.

OBJECTIVE
The exercise will:

• create an awareness of the risks and opportunities attached to conducting business abroad;
• encourage careful analysis of the risks and probable rewards;
• illustrate the need for timely decisions in volatile markets.

HOW IT WORKS
The tutor introduces the exercise and gives each team information about an imaginary company, its home market and three potential foreign markets. For each country the teams must decide whether they wish to enter and whether to supply goods by importing them from their home base or by establishing a local manufacturing facility. The latter decision is sometimes aided by government grants. In each playing period the teams make detailed decisions about the immediate future. Their decisions are handed to the tutor who enters them into the computer program. The results are given back to the teams along with an up-date about the political conditions, economic conditions and currency fluctuations. In each round the teams have the option to repatriate any or all of their profits.  

 PARTICIPANTS WILL BE DOING
Studying written data about an imaginary company: its home market and three foreign markets; debating alternative strategies; making decisions and entering these on a form; analysing the computer generated financial and operational reports that chart the company performance over each month.

FOR WHAT LEVELS IS IT APPROPRIATE?
All managers, students of business and management.

INCLUDED
Tutor manual; Player’s instructions; Program disc and all supporting documentation

COST
90 day license £490 plus Vat and delivery
Full license £890 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 £890 plus Vat and expenses. More details