Individual Programs

What is the Individual Program?

The Individual Program is so called because it allows individuals to participate in an ABW web based simulation at a time of their choosing, in fact at any time that suits them because they compete against cyber teams who are available online at any time. This is in contrast with other ABW simulations where you compete against “real” teams and thus can only play when all teams are scheduled to be available. That said, the simulations are the same and provide you with the opportunity to run your own company. The program develops work-related skills in finance, marketing and operations and gives participants the opportunity to investigate and develop vocational interests.

What is the Challenge?

Assuming the role of CEO you take over the key management roles within an established business and make all of the decisions necessary to run this company within a simulated marketplace. In an experiential decision-making process you make up to 54 decisions each quarter. Decisions include product marketing and pricing strategies, finance and operations issues as well as staffing and training requirements. 

During each of the decision periods, you analyse financial reports and market forecasts and work on new strategies while being mindful of the possible actions by the competing cyber teams.

Each quarter your decisions are processed on the ABW server then a new set of financial reports and market forecast are made available to enable you to work on your strategy before the next set of decisions is entered. The two page summary report provides the basic information you need to your decisions and contains brief details of operations, finance, marketing and performance as well as a share price graph showing your comparative position versus your competitors and a market forecast for the next three.

You are challenged to achieve optimum performance in comparison to the cyber companies competing in the marketplace. The winning company will be the company with the consistently highest share price. This is determined by evaluating all of the key performance criteria including: after tax profit, market share, return on assets, debt ratio, return on equity and total assets.

Demonstration version

To see how the ABW simulations work (Manufacturing, Information Technology, Hospitality) you are welcome to try out demonstration versions of each of the three simulations by emailing abw@abw.org.au requesting “Demo”. The demonstration version is a complete version of each simulation but constrained to only two decision quarters, a single cyber competitor, summary reports and only a single factory or hotel. The demo versions will give you a feel for the decisions which need to be made and also show the basic reports. However constrained to only two decision periods you will not be able to develop business strategies because you will not be able to play for sufficient decision periods to allow a strategy to develop.

Commercial version

Should you wish to experience a single player version which runs for 4, 8, or 12 decision periods and contains more variables, then continue to watch this space and we will shortly release details of these upcoming programs. You can register your interest in such events by emailing abw@abw.org.au requesting “Single pricing” and indicating the number of participants you envisage taking part, that way you will be the first to be contacted.