Commercial More enter computer game

Press, 29 March 1979, Page 22

Commercial More enter computer game

Sentries tor the Interlational Computers (N.Z.) ’.td “National Business Reiew” — sponsored business management game for 1979 are running well ahead of the entries for this time last year, said the game administrator (Dr Michael Jameson). “It seems that more companies and individuals are coming to realise the executive training benefits of business management games where the skills required to run a business in today’s complex economic conditions can be learnt as realistically as possible.” he said. As well as many new entries. there are many entries for this year’s ICL business

management game coming from companies which have had teams competing in the past. However, it was inter-; esting to note that the team members were different, Dr; Jameson said. “Perhaps company execu-j lives who have taken part in previous years feel that the experience gained has been worthwhile, and they are now encouraging other executives to take part and learn from the game.” Last year’s winners of the national game, a team from Putaruru consisting of a veterinarian. a cartage contractor and a town-supply dairy farmer, had shown that the game also took into account entrepreneurial skills. The other finalists, mainly economists and accountants, had certainly not been disgraced but the flair of the Putaruru team had won the day. Keen to see how they would fare in the realms of big business a number of farming teams have entered this year and they, and the other teams who are new to the game, should make it an interesting contest, Dr Jameson said. The game is run on a computer financial model which has been considerably enhanced over the last few years to keep pace with the rapidly changing methods of I today’s business world. Particular emphasis is '

i, now placed on cash flow L management. i, Competitors have to make (decisions on a wide range of -(factors including pricing, i marketing, transport, ren search and development expenditure, use of consultants ■land financing production. i Four or five teams are : pitted against each other in t a concurrent series of games ■ and the decisions they make ’ interact with the other I teams’ decisions. The winning team in each ‘ game. is the one accuniulat--1 ing the highest tax-paid pro- ■ fit over the course of the round. If conditions are particularly adverse, the winner ' may be the team making the I smallest loss. As administrator. Dr Jameson has a number of • control factors which can be varied to change the econ-. ■ omic conditions imposed, the ■ effect of pricing, marketing expenditure, and so on. These are set to approxi- ( mately follow the economic trends indicated to comI petitors as being likely to ■ occur during the round. 1 “I usually try to make the i game parallel the actual or predicted business conditions > in New Zealand at the time. ’ “Contestants, like many New Zealand business people at present, could find the going pretty tough this year,” . Dr Jameson said.

The game consists of three rounds played by mail which run from April until Novem-

v ber. The winners of the individual games in each round e go on to the following round; f making a fresh start with! , different economic conditions' - in each round. The teams are divided into! 51 four regional contests cover-; ;ing Auckland, central North! jllsland. Wellington and the! t( South Island and, by the end} 3 of the third round, the re-1 > gional finalists will be known, j r The four teams will then! take part in a one and a half ( ) day national final held in . Wellington at Internationa! i . Computers’ offices where pro-i > cessing of the decisions will! be carried out on the corn-1 . pany’s 1CL2904 computer. ( As regional finalists all! > four teams receive a cheque! ' for $2OO. The winning team! . at the national final receives! f a cheque for $lOOO. ; Entries for this year’s! ' game will close shortly.