Cranfield Business Simulations
Minimax:
MINimum time, MAXimum benefit
Teams … competition … business fundamentals … business start-up.
Minimax is a challenging and exciting interactive general management simulation. Teams
compete in a single market-place. The minimum number of teams required is three. There is no
upper limit. Minimax is superb at introducing the basic concepts of business practice.
Participants must rapidly form efficient teams, then go on to identify and manage the
fundamentals of business.
Structure
Each team acts as the Management Team of a
start-up business venture, taking a series of
decisions to establish the profitability of their
organisation against competition from the other
teams. The administrator sets the economic
climate. From then on the outcome is a direct
reflection of the decisions taken by the competing
teams. Just as in the real business environment,
the decisions of each team influence the overall
market and the performance of competitors.
Each team produces and sells in a competitive
market place. What they sell is similar, but not
identical – in the way that one car manufacturer or
one accountancy firm is similar to another.
Limited cash is available but there is a bank
manager who is commercially minded enough to
set interest rates that reward success and punish
poor performance. Decisions have to be taken on
capital investment, level of output, promotional
activity and pricing.
Minimax is explained to participants in an
Introductory Session. Then there is a Trial Round.
When the Simulation is restarted, there are a
number of Decision Periods followed by a Final
Review and Results Session.
The Review
session at the end is important to the learning
outcomes, relating the experiences during the
exercise to the objectives of the organisation.
+44 (0)1234 754427 | k.l.valverde@cranfield .ac.uk | www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/cced
Cranfield Business Simulations
Benefits
Minimax is an excellent way to sharpen the
commercial awareness of individuals. It is also
excellent for team-building or as a conference
pace-changer. It succeeds across a wide range
of disciplines and experience. It also allows for the
exploration of team and individual behaviours.
Observers of the teams can see and feed back on
behaviours within the teams. This can be done
within the context of models that the organisation
may already use, such as MBTI, or by introducing
models and concepts of behaviour before the
simulation begins.
“Now I understand the difference between cash
and profit and can interpret a balance sheet.”
Finance
“Excellent exercise to understand the necessity
for a strategy, consistency and the need for
flexibility.”
Strategy implementation
“Added value came from working within a French
dominated group and understanding cultural
differences in terms of taking risk.”
Cross-cultural Team-working
In 3 - 4 hours, participants will experience:
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Real commercial decision making
Problem Analysis
Team dynamics under stress
Risk analysis
Time bound decision making
Exercising Judgement
Interrelationship of variables
Enjoyment
“Really drove home business principles.”
Understanding the totality of a business
“Initially forecasting future sales against such
strong competition was difficult, but once the
strategy was in place, it became so much easier. “
Forecasting; Market Analysis
“Simply brilliant!”
Strengths of Minimax
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Short, sharp and effective team-interactive
exercise.
No pre-read or preparation.
Quickly into playing.
Rapid turn-round of results.
It’s our simulation. But it’s your business.
+44 (0)1234 754427 | k.l.valverde@cranfield .ac.uk | www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/cced