Acct 2220 Zeigler: Capsim “Foundation” Business Simulation - Fall 2014
Three Required “Getting Started” Assignments (H/W #1,2,3) - Due Mon, 10/27
Overview (approximately 3-4 hours in total):
Your group will be managing your own company, within a competitive electronic sensor industry, and
competing against fellow classmates over eight-years (rounds). You will apply what we are learning in this
course to management decision-making needs relating to accounting, finance, marketing, production and
research/development. In addition, an individual exam, called “Comp-XM”, similar to the simulation, will
be administered toward semester-end to measure your business knowledge and decision-making skills.
As such, give your best efforts, ask questions and learn as much as you can over the next eight weeks.
In order to prepare for this learning experience, students are required to complete the three “Getting Started”
assignments below. Results are electronically submitted on an individual basis. No printing is required, but
you may do so if desired. The goal here is to have each member “ready to go” at the start of the simulation.
A time investment now will benefit you, your team and will best prepare you for the exam later.
Three Getting Started Assignments:
From our class website, log into Capsim and click the “Foundation” link. From your “Dashboard”, choose
the “Getting Started” link in the upper left-hand corner. You will see nine tabs at the top of this screen:
Tab #1: “Introductory Lesson”: First, view the 5-minute Introductory Lesson video for an overview of the
Capsim Foundation simulation. After viewing the video, click on the “take the quiz” link to test your
knowledge. Your first assignment (H/W#1) is to correctly answer the six quiz questions.
When done, a completion date for the Introductory Lesson Quiz should be noted on your “Dashboard”.
Tab #2 & #3: Next, RETURN to the “Getting Started” link and review both “The Guide” and the “Industry
Conditions Report” (see the “Reports” link to the left). This info will always be available for online review.
H/W#2 (Tab #4): Complete the “Rehearsal Round” by following these steps carefully:
Tab #4: Next, each student must complete at least one “Rehearsal Round" (you may complete up to 4 rounds).
From the “Getting Started” link on your Dashboard, select Tab #4 and click “Open the Rehearsal Tutorial”.
You will find a wide “split-screen” and will need to frequently navigate by using the bottom of the screen to
move to the left and to the right OR use “Collapse & Expand”. Under the “Let’s Get Down to Business”
section, click on the first “tactic” and follow the step-by-step WRITTEN instructions for each tactic (feel free to
review the “Video Instructions”, but they move very fast). Your Rehearsal Round “workbook” (for your input)
will be on the right side. Be sure to review both the “Observe” discussion provided, as well as, clicking on the
“tactic discussion” link towards the bottom of the page (left hand side). Continue to the next tactic when ready.
2. After all six tactics are done, take the quiz. You must correctly answer all questions (repeat as needed).
3. Next, “Process” the round after you have completed all six tactics (see blue link at top right).
4. Review the results of your decisions in the Foundation FastTrack Industry newsletter to see what occurred.
Note: Recommended, but optional: Replay Rehearsal Round 1, this time making whatever decisions you wish.
Note: Recommended, but optional: Advance to Rounds 2-4 for a total of four rehearsal rounds (best approach).
When done, confirmation of the “Rehearsal Tutorial” will be noted as “completed” on your Dashboard.
H/W#3: To complete the “Situation Analysis”, follow these steps:
1. Exit the Rehearsal Tutorial and return to the “Getting Started” link from your Dashboard.
2. Use Tab #7 to complete the five-part online “Situation Analysis”. You will need to use the “Foundation
FastTrack” and “Industry Conditions” reports. Both are available via links on the middle of the page. Note
that these reports are NOT the “Rehearsal Round” reports that you just finished working with in H/W#2.
3. You will need a calculator to perform some calculations and enter your answers in the boxes provided.
Feel free to print and use the written Situation Analysis version, but the online version is required for credit.
When done, a completion date for the “Situation Analysis” should now be noted on your Dashboard.
Last, review the remaining tabs and start to think about which “strategy” you may want to employ (Tab #8).
Note: All above homework assignments are required and are electronically reported by date/time.
See me, our GA support team or call the Capsim toll-free helpline at 877.477.8787 with any questions.
Note: Complete all of the above, but do not enter or make any “Practice Round” decisions for your
respective team. We will start this process together during our first lab on Monday, October 27th.