This assignment will be broken down into two parts: Completing the Simulation and Sharing/Discussing your Approach. 

Part 1: Completing the simulation

The simulation is part of the course pack you purchased at the beginning of the course. You can access the simulation using the link on the syllabus. 

Once you enter the simulation you will be taken to a background page. This page includes a How to Play guide and the Case. Take time to carefully read both documents. The Case has really great background information on the brands, the competitive situation, product positioning, and differentiation - be sure to use it to guide your decisions!

Then spend time reviewing the existing data for the previous years (mostly found on the Data Explorer page of the simulation). Once you are comfortable with the information available to you, you can start to make decisions moving forward. You are required to make decisions for the four-yearly cycles. This will be completed on the Make Decisions page.

Begin by formulating a potential strategy for managing this brand to better performance over the course of the four years, then test your ideas in the simulator.  Once you have completed making decisions for all four years, you may elect to restart the simulation and try a different strategy. You may complete the simulation as many times as you'd like until you are satisfied with your performance outcome. If you are interested in this option, click on the New Game page. (Note, this only appears after all four years are complete.)

Submitting Your Results 

Once you are satisfied with your performance outcome, you will be developing a PowerPoint presentation to share your results and approach with me. Please a presentation that includes:

• Your final decisions from the 4 year run, show data for the following (screenshots are fine):
  • Decision history
  • Income statement
  • Production v demand statement
  • Pricing statement
• Your performance outcomes (screenshots are fine):
  • Market share chart
  • Revenue chart
  • Profit chart
  • Overall dashboard
• Describe your decision-making strategy. Explain and justify your decisions - don't just give a 'play by play', Provide a rationale that is tied back to the case and course learnings. All initial allocations should be explained, and any YOY changes should also be explained. Provide rationalizations that tie back to course learnings (e.g. branding, STP, product positioning, pricing, etc) - do not rely on data explanations alone (e.g. because the data said so).
  • What was your overall strategy? e.g. did you try to lower the price to gain market share? Or focus on a high-value target market, etc.? There are many strategies that you could have taken.
  • Based on your strategy clarify the following:
    • What was your brand positioning? How is it differentiated from the competitors?
    • Who was your specific target? Why did you select them?
    • What elements of the product did you select to align with this positioning and target? This includes formulation, features, and price.
  • What process did you follow for adjusting the allocations by year? Explain all changes you made and why you made them.
  • What do you think were your strengths in this process? Where do you feel you needed improvement?

Put all your discussion on the slides. Write more than you normally would for a business presentation. Put nothing in the notes section as I cannot see that area in Canvas. 

This should be a client-ready deliverable - polished, organized flow, with template and graphics.

Part 2: Discussion

For this discussion, the emphasis will be placed on sharing and learning from one another. I would like for you to share your approach to the simulation situation. You will be responding to the following prompts in the discussion forum:

• Briefly summarize your approach.
  • What was your strategy?
  • Did you alter your strategy (e.g. run the simulation multiple times)? How and why?
• Where would you make improvements?
  • If you run the simulation multiple times, did your changes result in a better performance outcome? Why or Why not?
  • How did you compare to the "top 3" data?
• What would you take away from this simulation to apply to real-world situations?
• After you post your initial response, take time to read the responses of others. Pay attention to their thought process and strategies. As in the real world, there isn't a "correct" answer. There is an effective interpretation of data and the need for decision-making abilities.