Liverpool University 2012
18.07.12
In June 2012, April Training ran a simulation event at Liverpool University as part of the MSc Management degree, involving the use of Executive to illustrate some of the key business ideas that made up part of the academic study for the course. It was run with over 400 students simultaneously, with participants split into small teams, which competed in leagues of 8 or 9 teams.
The aim of the simulation was to consolidate the business principles taught by the lecturers through active learning, using a realistic model of the current car manufacturing industry as a base. Before the simulation began, the students researched a real manufacturer in detail with focus on its business strategy and company image, in order to gain an appreciation of the industry. The students created posters to present their findings. They also developed a business plan and strategy for the company they would create within the simulation environment.
The simulation event began with a trial run to enable the students to get used to the functionality of the software and test out some initial ideas. With the students confident in using Executive, the real simulation event was launched and the competition began!
Students set up a company from a greenfield site and built up the business over four years (each simulation round is equivalent to one year). By using a start up scenario participants had free rein to use their ideas for business strategies and see how they played out over the years. The exercise allowed them to put into practice the skills they had learnt over the degree course, as well as applying their own business intuition and acumen to find innovative solutions. The results were very interesting, with all teams submitting sensible and well thought-through decisions that led to most companies prospering, despite the intense competition within most market sectors.
Congratulations must go to the staff involved at Liverpool University for the superb organisation and smooth running of the programme, despite the large number of students. The simulation will be run in a similar way with next year’s cohort, with numbers set to increase substantially.
Tags: academic training simulations, Executive, university simulations
