Cranfield Business Simulations
@yourService
Highly competitive … meeting customer needs … service challenges
@yourService is a richly complex and rewarding business simulation, facing service challenges
head-on. It has been specifically developed to explore the challenges facing management in
service industries, where meeting and exceeding expectations, delivering to customer
standards and market positioning is an important key to success. It’s interactive, so the
decision of any one team will impact both on the market place and on the performance of
competitors.
Structure
In @yourService, we simulate the management
of a hotel - a uniquely demanding service
environment. Participants are asked to cope with
a series of variables, including the range and
quality of services offered, pricing, promotional
activities and the management of human and
financial resources.
As the hotel’s Management Team, participants
seek to differentiate their hotel by virtue of size,
price, market position or the special facilities
offered.
They can increase the number of bedrooms,
enlarge or reduce their restaurant facilities,
improve the level of service, add new facilities
such as shops, fitness centre, conferencing, and
choose their price point in the market.
The challenge is to produce a profitable business
in a changing competitive landscape. Success
will be reflected in the skill in achieving
consistency between the vision and strategy,
together with the ability to interpret and anticipate
market trends and competitor actions.
+44 (0)1234 754427 | k.l.valverde@cranfield.ac.uk | www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/cced
Cranfield Business Simulations
Benefits
“We had to deliver against tight service standards”
Service quality; Customer perceived value
@yourService provides exposure to many of the
challenges facing business managers, in both
commercial and behavioural terms.
The
simulation can extend over 1½ or 2 days or as a
series of inter-modular decisions over a longer
period via the internet, depending on objectives,
with a pre-read advisable. Decision periods vary
between 1½ and 2 hours.
“We learned to target our market and meet
expectations”
Market segmentation; Marketing Mix
“We learnt so much, struggling to work as a team”
Interpersonal relationships within the team
environment;
Influence; Persuasion; Communication
The simulation 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.
“Having effective staff to support our service
levels was key.” Service Profit Chain
“Initially, we just jumped in without thinking
through the consequences.”
Risk & Return;
Cash management; Cost management
Strengths of @yourService
The very complexity of the simulation means that
it also fully explores the nature of interpersonal
relationships within the team environment.
WHAT?
Service
quality
180 Rooms
100 covers
3 Banquet Halls
3 Leisure services
Building Brand
& Reputation
Marketing
Channels
4 service types
Start Position:
6 Competitors – 16.7% market share
Funding: Cash €1.5m
Existing debt € 9.6m
Available Loan € 3m
Retained Earnings € 1.13m
Price &
Discounts
WHO to attract
and HOW?
HOW to match customer needs
with organisational capability?
Customer
Needs
Expansion
projects
Asset
up-keep
Effective
employees
(fixtures and fittings)
WHO?
4 client types
Through efficient
management of facilities
• Tourists
• Groups
• Business Travellers
• Meetings & Events
WHY? - Market Analysis Î Journal
WHEN? - Seasonality of market demand
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