Business Management Experience

Undergraduate level: Operations & Enterprise simulation

Designed for use at undergraduate level, this business simulation can be run as part of an undergraduate curricular course work e.g. for students taking an Enterprise module or as an extra-curricular activity. It is designed for easy inclusion into course modules at 10 credit level.

Students can put business theory into practice with this engaging, tried and tested on-line simulation. The Business Management Experience simulation (simulated company: Clothes4Olympians) is designed to enhance and develop business acumen when participants become the board of directors of Clothes4Olympians a mid-sized business that manufactures clothing for Olympic athletes. They operate in an interactive marketplace so that they compete against other teams and not a computer model. Changes in the business environment also impact on decision-making and business performance.

Business Management Experience

Masters level: Management & Strategy simulation

Masters-level students can put their strategic and operational taught theory into action with this engaging, tried and tested on-line simulation  The Business Management Experience simulation (simulated company: Solar Power Solutions) is designed to enhance and develop business acumen when participants become the board of directors of a social enterprise manufacturer selling solar energy solutions into rural communities in developing countries. The simulation is designed to challenge Masters level students in terms of: information analysis, decision-modelling, planning and optimisation of business operations, forecasting of financial results, and ability to respond to changes in the business environment/competitor strategy.

Strategy Experience

Strategic analysis & decision-making simulation in a global service business

This challenging and rigorous simulation offers students working in teams the opportunity to create a strategic analysis of a global service industry, develop a strategic plan for WRSX a mid-sized player in that industry and implement their strategic plan as the Board of a global advertising and marketing services group with offices in London, New York, Paris and Singapore.

The simulation draws on relevant theoretical frameworks, value creation models and performance measurement criteria that include share price, profitability, CSR, business ethics, customer, supplier and employee non-financial performance indicators.

Strategy Experience

Family Business Strategy: Strategic analysis & decision-making simulation

The Family Business Strategy simulation is designed to develop the strategic and operational skills of family business owners, those likely to inherit family businesses and also those who provide professional services and advice to family businesses (accountants, lawyers, etc.)

Central to the simulation are divergent family views on how value can be added to the business in a 5 year timescale. The simulation draws on relevant theoretical frameworks, value creation models and performance measurement criteria to deliver learning that can be applied to any family or SME business.

Universities Business Challenge

UK’s leading simulation-based business competition for Employability & Enterprise skills development

The Universities Business Challenge is the world’s longest established and leading undergraduate simulation-based competition for teams designed to develop student employability and enterprise skills. Supported by the UK’s leading universities and graduate employers, over 20,000 students have benefitted from taking part in the UBC Worldwide Challenge since 1998.

The UBC offers undergraduates within universities a unique opportunity to improve their knowledge of the business world, put theory into practice and develop their team-working, leadership, employability and enterprise skills by participating in a team-based competitive challenge.

Exploring Enterprise Experience

Business start-up decision-making simulation for enterprise students

Exploring Enterprise Experience takes participants through starting their own business and finding out what it takes to initiate and run a start-up business. The simulation starts with participants selecting a “style” of business:

• Lifestyle business
• Social enterprise
• For profit, scalable business
• IP-based build-to-sell

The simulation then takes participants through four phases:

1. Enterprise Start-up
2. Enterprise Planning
3. Driving performance to deliver financial and non-financial outcomes
4. Building value, continuation or exit strategies

Project Management Experience

Planning & Managing Projects simulation

The Project Management Experience simulation is designed to introduce participants to planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve delivery of a complete project – to budget, on time and to specification. Based on Prince 2 principles, the simulation allows students to apply generic tools and frameworks to the 4 phases of projects: start-up, planning, execution and close-down.

Knowledge and experience of managing projects – or understanding one’s role in

a project team – is essential in today’s workplace as most graduates will work on a project team basis early in their career.

The simulation can be run as part of curricular course work or as a co-curricular activity. It is designed for easy inclusion into course modules at 10 credit level and is mapped against the project management skills employers are looking for in their graduate intake.