learning how to play copyright virtual management simulations enginuity 2014

Learning How To PlayCopyright Virtual Management Simulations

ENGINUITY 2014

Navigate through the presentation by using :-

buttons to load specific topics

buttons for movement to specific points

buttons for self-paced demonstrations of topics

hotspots to display further information.

The mouse, and not the keyboard, should be used at all times.

Demo

Hotspot

Navigation

Introduction

Keep clicking anywhere on the screen to advance

The Participants’ Module is the software used by participants to take part in an ENGINUITY competition. It enables :-

Decisions to be made for each period relating to the key managerial functions Company performance to be measured and assessed The global economic outlook in which the company is operating to be analysed

Company information is held in a company database, which is unique to each team. The company database is selected using the Select Company Database button.

The following sections will guide you through learning how to play ENGINUITY, covering the key points you need to know, such as :-

How to use the Participants’ Module Getting the most out of the Tutorial Practising, or trialling, the key to success

Contents

Exit

Learning Tools The Tutorial

Trialling

The Participants’ Module Selecting The Company Database

Submitting Decisions

The Main Menu

Making Decisions

Selecting The Company DatabaseAll the information a team needs to manage their business is held in the company database, which is in Access format.

Every company database follow the same naming convention of “ccc_t?p?.dat” where :-

ccc is the competition id t is the team’s unique number p is the current period

Quit

Participants’ Module


The company database used to learn how to play ENGINUITY depends upon the nature of the competition.

For the annual competition for industry the trial company database “trial2014_t1p5.dat” is used. This can be downloaded from the Participants‘ Area of the website.

For all other competitions the trial data normally used will be the live data for the competition. This will have been sent to all team contacts by the competition controller when the team registers for a competition.

Whichever database is used :-

It should be placed in appropriate local folder. The name of the company database should not be altered.

As an example we will use the first scenario, where the trial database being used is for the annual competition for industry.

The trial database, “trial2014_t1p5.dat” is downloaded from the Participants‘ Area of the website, and placed in a folder structure setup specifically for the competition.

Initially the trial data is placed in the “default” folder.

Further sub folders are created to hold different trials, and their results.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Key Point(s)The name of the company database does not need to be changed, since the folder structure separates the different trials.

The Select Company Database button from the opening screen of the software is used to browse for, and connect to, the company database.The database is highlighted by clicking on it, and then the Open

button used to connect to it.

Once a successful connection had been made to the required company database the Main Menu is displayed, and decisions can be made for the current period.

The Main Menu

Quit



The Main Menu displays relevant information about the company being managed :-

Company database; The location of the company database being used.

Team details; team number, name and the management structure.

Current status; The current key performance indicator score of the company, and the period in which they are operating.

Using a pull-down menu structure, the Main Menu is the gateway to managing the company.The Making decisions menu has options that enable decisions to be entered each period relating to the key functions of the business.

The Assessing performance menu has options that enable company performance to be measured and assessed.

The Industry information menu has options that describe the conditions of both the local (UK) and global economy in which the company is operating.The Miscellaneous menu has additional ‘housekeeping’ options

Making Decisions

Quit



Clicking on the Making decisions option reveals the four decision screens relating to Finance, Overheads, Procurement and Job Progression.

Each decision screen is described in detail in the Tutorial, but we will take a closer look at some of the important features that are common to them all.

We will use the Financial decisions as the example.The default mode when opening any of the decision screens is to enable decisions to be made for the current period.

On all the decision screens :- Input fields are denoted by black text on a white background Read-only information is shown in different coloured

backgrounds, normally yellow, pink or grey.

All the decision screens have some common menu options.

Change decisions can be used to move between decision screens.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Key Point(s)Only one decision screen can be opened at once.

Change period can be used to display the decisions made in previous periods, denoted as ‘Completed’.

The Help menu is split into two sections. The Guide options give an overview of key features related to the current decisions, with links to the Industry information where appropriate.Rather than going back to the Main Menu, the Relevant company information options provide a short cut to company information related directly to the current decisions, and which can help in making effective decisions.

Submitting Decisions Participants’ Module


Quit

Decisions have been made using the trial database “trial2014_t1p5.dat”, which are stored in the folder c:\enginuity2014\trial data\attempt1.

Having made some decisions the Participants’ Module is closed down, and the trial database is emailed to the Competition Controller for processing and feedback.

The Competition Controller processes the trial decisions for period 5, and emails back the database for the next period, trial2014_t1p6,dat, which contains the results for period 5.

The database for period 6 is placed in the sub folder attempt 1, where the original decisions were stored.

In the Trialling section we will look in more detail at how the email feedback and the period 6 database can be used to review the quality of trial decisions made for period 5.

The Tutorial


Learning Tools

Quit

The tutorial is a detailed powerpoint slideshow, and the first source of help for learning about how to play ENGINUITY.The key slide in the tutorial is the contents slide, which is the gateway to all the other information.Let us suppose that information is needed about how to bid for a job.First, click on the Procurement button in the

Making Decisions section.

Then, click on the Bidding Decisions button to learn how to bid for a job.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Key Point(s)The green buttons are self-paced demonstrations of specific topics.

The Glossary contains lots of useful information that elaborates in more detail on selected topics.

Clicking on a hotspot will reveal further information.

Although the tutorial introduces the key concepts, the best way to learn about Enginuity is to have a go, and practising (trialling) is discussed in another section.

Updated trial databaseThe email feedback will provide a initial assessment of the quality of the trial decisions.

However, for a more detailed analysis the period 6 database should be opened in the Participants’ Module, after first saving it to an appropriate folder.


After opening the period 6 database, the Main Menu provides a number of tools for assessing performance.

Measuring performance The Key performance indicators are used to determine how well a company is performing overall. The Performance summary provide detailed information that can be used to assess how well particular areas of the

business are performing, and can help to explain the success or failure of particular performance indicators.

Analysing performance The Management consultants report is a detailed review carried out each period by an external management consultant,

and can be a valuable aid in managing the company successfully, especially in addressing areas of concern. The Financial analysis displays detailed financial information for previous periods. The Overhead analysis displays detailed overhead information for previous periods, relating to the key overhead

departments. The Procurement analysis displays detailed bidding analysis for previous periods. The Job analysis displays detailed job information. The Personnel analysis displays detailed personnel information for previous periods, relating to clients, project managers

and consultants.

The Company Performance Summary provide a detailed set of performance statistics relating to all aspects of the company’s activities, and can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses, and explain the rise and fall of particular key performance indicators.

The top section of the summary relates to the state of the company at the end of the History.

The bottom section of the summary relates to the performance of the company since the History.

Detailed feedbackDetailed feedback is also provided on the email for each of the four decision screens, and concentrates on areas that could be improved.

The feedback is accompanied by supporting help, and references to the tutorial for further information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Key Points(s)The email feedback is only provided during trialling, and not during the live competition

Trial assessmentKey performance indicators (KPIs) are used to measure the progress of the company, and initially total 1,000 points at the start of period 5.

The total KPI score at the end of period 5 is shown, and is a measure of the quality of the decisions submitted, and is based upon reviewing all the decisions.

In addition, the results are graded somewhere between the lowest possible, "Some major problems", through to the highest possible, "Excellent".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Key Point(s)Even with a grading of "excellent" it may be possible to improve the overall numerical score with some subtle tweaks to the decisions.

Key performance indicators10 key performance indicators are used to measure the overall success of the company.

The indicators are weighted according to their variability, totalling a 1,000 at the end of the History.

As time progresses the weighting of each indicator will change, highlighting improvements or deteriorations in that area, but the overall total will be the measure by which the ultimate progress of the company is determined.

Using the email feedback and the period 6 database a thorough review can be carried out of the performance during period 5.

From the assessment of the results changes can then be made to the period 5 decisions, and another trial submitted.

After a few trials performance should improve considerably, and it should not be long before the team, and its members, will be well prepared for the competition ahead.

Further trialling

Change the previous decisions, and have another go

Review results for period 5

Review the results for period 5, and determine changes required to previous decisions.

Feedback returned

Trial results are returned, along with detailed feedback.

Submit decisions for processing

E-mail the trial company database to the competition controller for processing.

Make decisions for period 5

Use the Participants‘ Module to enter decisions into the trial company database for period 5.

Trialling Learning Tools

For teams to manage their company as effectively as possible they need to spend time learning about ENGINUITY, and there is the opportunity to trial the software prior to the start of a competition using some trial data.

Past experience has shown that trialling is the real key to success, and can make all the difference between starting a competition well, or not so well.

During the trial phase a team is able to gain a good understanding of how to manage their company effectively, learning about the decisions and concepts involved. As the saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect’.

Trialling is very flexible, and trials can be submitted either :-

As a group/team effort Individually

Trial decisions are sent by email to the Competition Controller for processing.

The email returned from the Competition Controller containing the trial results consists of two elements :-

Detailed feedback on the email itself

The updated period 6 database containing all the results for period 5

We will now take a closer look at each one.

The 3 areas that are particular useful are :-

The Key Performance Indicators for measuring overall performance.

The Performance Summary for analysing performance in key areas since the History.

The Management Consultants Report for reviewing in detail performance by period, and in particular areas of concern.

We will take a closer look at each one.

Management Consultants ReportThe Management Consultants Report (MCR)is a detailed review carried out each period by an external management consultant, and can be a valuable aid in managing the company successfully, especially in addressing areas of concern.

For the trial the results the MCR can be filtered for :-Period 5 onlyWhere the nature is “N”, representing the negative comments, and areas that may need addressing

Quit

learning how to play copyright virtual management simulations enginuity 2014

Documents