Simulation Software: 5 Easy Steps To Overcome Corporate Challenges

The Challenges Companies Can Solve Using Simulation Software 

Today’s world is a fast-paced environment; the conditions and tactics of business management have drastically changed. The methods which only yesterday helped to generate high income are no longer effective: The proven marketing strategies fail, the standard methods of promotion are not working, and the labor market is full of professionals who were dismissed after many years of a successful career.

On the one hand, financial crises present opportunities to win over competitors; on the other, they are one of the factors that tend to increase the level of nervousness within companies. Naturally, the competition motivates the progress and seeking out new solutions, but a financial crisis, just like everything, is good only in moderation. Excessive degree of stress causes tensions and inefficiency among employees, killing the team spirit and working environment. Thus, in times like these, top managers tend to put pressure on HR (Human Resources) department in to do something about it.

HR people are searching for solutions to several problems at the same time:

1. They ensure positive psychological climate within teams.
2. They develop competencies related to the ability to work under pressure (responsibility, teamwork, stress-resistance).
3. They develop teamwork training programs (manager/team, employee/employee).
4. They develop training programs on cross-functional collaboration and leadership skills.

Simformer solutions for these particular HR challenges are among the most requested in the last couple of months.

Unfortunately, it is not that easy to solve all the objectives outlined by HR department. In stressful situations employees tend to be reluctant to any standard training processes: They are worried that training sessions will only be a waste of their precious time, which they might spend more productively, doing something else. All these challenges, as well as dispersed geographical locations and time zones, make it hard for HR departments to plan and implement corporate training programs.

What can be done in such situation? How to ensure that employees are motivated and training expenses are not overspent?

It is necessary to try something new, original, non-conventional, yet simple and effective at the same time. Something that would not make employees feel like they are being taught or mentored; it’s important to achieve the desired results naturally.

Simformer specialists have devised the solution that is able to transmit the challenges of the real world into the virtual one and use Simformer Business Simulation, an unparalleled business simulation software, to overcome all those challenges.

How Business Simulation Software Helps Overcome Corporate Challenges 

Simformer Business Simulation offers utmost conditions for solving all the employee training issues discussed previously. Business simulations are strategic, yet entertaining games. And this is what exactly can make people motivated and focused, because people of all ages like playing games. The game has the power to attract and retain the attention of not only employees of a younger generation, which was raised on computer games, but also of their elderly counterparts. It is very useful when wisdom and youth have the opportunity to compete in a virtual environment, creating a productive corporate culture.

Nowadays Simformer Business Simulation includes:

• 1 000 000 registered users and 50 000 active users.
• 20+ industries.
• 200+ products and services.
• All key business processes and functions.
• Individual or group participation.
• 24/7/365 online formal.
• Accessible from any location in the world.
• Browser-based, no additional applications are needed.
• Integrable with companies’ internal learning systems.
• Unlimited number of participants.

How To Use Simulation Software For Effective Team Building: The Steps To Be Undertaken 

1. Selecting a game scenario, format, and settings.
   There are two options: Either to create a unique scenario with the help of Simformer specialists or use ready-made scenarios. The information required:
   • Specific request / the goal of the training.
     The game scenario and settings depend on that.
   • The time frame. 
     Based on the previous cases involving business simulations, we recommend setting the minimum duration of the game (4 hours). The duration of the game in intensive format 6-8 hours.
   • The format of game moderation.
     The moderating of the game can be conducted either by companies’ specialists or Simformer specialists. The game can be moderated either online or onsite.
   • The duration format.
     All participants work in one virtual environment, although they can be located in different parts of the world. Simulation software together with modern means of communication allow the combination of different options. The advantage of online games is that they can be conducted for an unlimited number of participants.  This means that companies do not have to spend on employee travel expenses, thus making the online distance format of training popular and effective.
2. Forming teams and setting the schedule.
   Since “a fish rots from the head down”, so the teams are formed in descending order. Firstly, the team of top managers is formed, then the team of C level managers and so on. The game roles within teams are assigned in that way, so the marketing specialist becomes a finance specialist, finance specialist becomes a sales manager and supplier is responsible for strategy. In other words, each employee will have the chance to experience the duties and challenges of their colleagues.
3. Conducting business games in intensive format.
   In the course of a business game participants have to perform certain assignments (missions) and follow certain business procedures in a virtual business simulation environment. The procedures, the way they are conducted as well as the timeframes are set by game moderators. The scenario is set up that way so that the assignments and their intensity exceed the abilities of participants. Such harsh conditions allow the participants to learn how to work and behave in stressful situations: keeping calm and collected when multitasking and working under tight timeframes, controlling emotions when being pressured by the strict procedures of the game. The game has to focus on the team work, since the participants have to make all their decisions together. Due to that, the participants have the opportunity to develop their communicative and collaborative skills, offer and ask for help as well as put the interests of the whole team first. During the group collaboration, it becomes easy to identify the leadership and communicative skills of particular participants. The competitiveness among teams makes the game more dynamic and energetic, and the goal of the game is not only finding the right solution but also doing it faster and more effectively than others. The unfamiliar environment, the common goal and competitor, the necessity to make choose the right solution effectively, limited time, strictness of game moderators, common victory or defeat-all these elements add to effective team building.
4. Analyzing the results with the help of simulation software.
   The assessment of teams is performed automatically in the business simulation environment. During the game, each the team performance rankings are updated every clock hour. The winner is identified in the final ranking.  At the end of the game the participants receive the prizes and digital certificated that can be uploaded to companies’ intranets and employees’ social media profiles.
5. Retaining the achieved results.
   In order to retain the effectiveness of achieved results during dynamic training sessions with the simulation software, we recommend conducting a team contest in the course of one month. For this event the Simformer Management Cup with a daily update can be used. It will help save employees’ time, by not distracting them from their direct duties. Simformer Management Cup gives the chance to:
   • Have casual communication within the teams.
   • Reinforce the results achieved during the training sessions.
   • Alternate the game roles within the teams in order to identify the potential of each employee.
   • Build the team of employees for successful collaboration at workplace.

The Conclusion

The team of employees are immersed into the dynamic game, they communicate casually among each other, and each has the chance to try various roles. At the end of the training session each employee is sure that success is a team work.