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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
Release Date: August 2009
BLs R
© 2009 Tata Interactive Systems. All rights reserved.

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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
E-BUSINESS
EBZ3111 - Developing a Business Website
EBZ3112 - Managing a Retail Website
EBZ3113 - Managing B-to-B Relationships
ECONOMICS
ECO3111 - Cost and Revenue Curves
ECO3112 - Market Structures
ECO3113 - Monetary Policy
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FIN3111 - Working Capital Management
FIN3112 - Capital Budgeting
FIN3113 - Risk Management
FIN3114 - Fundamentals of Financial Statements
FIN3115 - Analysis of Financial Statements
FIN3116 - Contribution Margin and Breakeven Analysis
HUMAN RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
HRO3111 - Managing Individual Performance
HRO3113 - Organization Structure
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
MIS3111 - Automating a Support System
MIS3112 - System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Methodology
MIS3113 - Strategic Information Systems (SIS) Planning
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© 2009 Tata Interactive Systems. All rights reserved.

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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
LEADERSHIP
LDR3111 - Leadership in Action
LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS
LAW3111 - Contract Creation and Management
LAW3112 - Business Regulation
LAW3113 - Legal Issues in the Reduction of Workforce
MARKETING MANAGEMENT
MKT3111 - Forecasting Market Demand
MKT3112 - Service Added Based Differentiation
MKT3113 - Channel Development and Pricing
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
OPE3111 - Process Control and Problem Solving
OPE3112 - Managing a Process Layout
OPE3113 - Inventory Management
RESEARCH METHODS
RES3111 - Managing Research Design
RES3112 - Probability Theory in Decision Making
RES3113 - Research Methods for Managerial Decisions
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© 2009 Tata Interactive Systems. All rights reserved.

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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
E-BUSINESS
EBZ3111 -
This simulation will take the learner through the process of setting up a brokerage website.
The learner will have to decide on the functionalities to be offered on the site and what business needs it fulfils. These decisions will have a direct impact on the traffic that the site attracts, the proportion of the traffic that sticks to the site, revenue, and net income. The cost revenue trade off of these decisions would govern the site’s performance.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
E-BUSINESS
EBZ3112 -
This simulation takes the learner through several aspects of managing a retail music website. The learner will draw up a business strategy for the website and make certain business projections. The learner will also make decisions on advertising for the Website and organizing a promotion on it. The learner has to evaluate how the decisions taken affect market share, revenue, and net income.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
E-BUSINESS
EBZ3113 -
This simulation will take the learner through several aspects of managing a business-tobusiness website. With an objective of streamlining the supply chain and production forecasting management, the learner will first take a decision on the type of B2B exchange that best suits the organizations requirements. The learner would then implement the exchange among component suppliers while ensuring that the decisions do not adversely affect any one of them. The learner should also ensure that a significant proportion of hi purchases happen through the exchange. The learner will also have to address HR issues like non-usage and training.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
ECONOMICS
ECO3111 -
This simulation explores costs, revenues, and their inter-relationship. The learner makes decisions to minimize costs and maximize profits.
The learner can also explore concepts such as breakeven, and shutdown points, and also makes decisions on whether to shutdown or continue operations while making losses and in cases of negative margins.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
ECONOMICS
ECO3112 -
In this simulation the learner takes pricing and other decisions for a product through the different market structures.
As a monopoly player the learner can observe graphically the changes in demand and resultant profit for different advertising expenses, and the effect on the cost structures if production processes are changes.
In a pricing competitive environment the learner is asked to stabilize the market price using the prisoners dilemma concept. In a limited competition (monopolistic competition) the learner is asked to decide on the introduction of a new brand to generate additional volumes to utilize the excess capacity.
In perfect competition the learner makes investment decisions to improve short-term profits.
Here profits are never long term and the learner has to introduce imperfections in the market to create short-term profits.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
ECONOMICS
ECO3113 -
This simulation enables the learner to take decisions as the chairperson of the Federal
Reserve. The learner controls the money supply by taking decisions on Spread between the Discount Rate (DR) and Federal Funds Rate (FFR), Required Reserve Ratio, and Open
Market Operations. By manipulating these rates, the learner controls the macro economic factors like GDP, Inflation and Unemployment levels.
This simulation gives the learner an economic perspective as the chairperson of the Federal
Reserve and enables them to understand the effect of money supply on the given macroeconomic factors. The student also understands the inter-relationships between the macroeconomic outputs.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FIN3111 -
A manager handling day-to-day cash of a company balances collections, bad debts, disbursements, future revenues, borrowings, and loan repayments simultaneously.
Short-term financial needs have to be considered along with long-term business needs.
This simulation shows what it is like to juggle with cash flows in good times and in bad. The learner negotiates with business partners to shorten collection periods, stretch payments to manage cash deficit situations and even borrow from banks to make up for a shortfall to understand how these decisions affect business prospects.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FIN3112 -
When resources are limited and capital investment choices are many, measures like Net
Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Profitability Index (PI) are beneficial in evaluating the options. However, all these measures are only as good as the assumptions or estimations made about the cash flow of the proposals.
This simulation helps the learner evaluate two mutually exclusive capital investment proposals through analysis of their cash flow statements. The learner examines revenue and cost assumptions, optimizes capital expenditure outflows, looks out for hidden cash flows, adjusts for project specific risks, and equalizes timelines of the proposals. The learner then selects the option generating maximum value.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FIN3113 -
Investment management is all about striking a balance between capital appreciation and capital preservation. In other words, managing risk is the central task of investment management. .
This simulation is about minimizing risk by diversifying and choosing investment options with the desired volatility in varying market situations. The learner plays the role of an investment consultant handling the portfolios of three clients with unique risk profiles over an 18-month period. Selecting suitable investment options for each client, the learner must maximize capital gains. In this simulation, the repercussion of making a loss is serious–the loss of a valuable client.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FIN3114 -
This simulation analyzes financial transactions to reinforce the concept of debit and credit.
The learner uses the ‘T-account’ to rectify erroneous accounting transactions. S/he then employs the ‘Horizontal Model’ to make accruals/re-classifications and prepares the adjusted trial balance. During the process, s/he learns the relationship between the four financial statements: the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of cash flows, and the statement of owners’ equity.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FIN3115 -
This simulation enables the learner to evaluate the financial health of a company by studying its financial statements. S/he interprets the financial statements by analyzing the financial ratios and by examining the footnotes to the financial statements. The techniques used in ratio analysis are built on models suggested by Robert Morris Associates and Dun
& Bradstreet. Apart from ratio analysis, the learner also focuses on non-financial measures
(like corporate culture, order backlog etc.,) in evaluating an entity’s overall financial position.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FIN3116 -
How do changes in selling price, costs, and volume of activity affect the bottom line?
This simulation illustrates cost-volume-profit relationships using the contribution margin principle. The learner explores the relationships by making production decisions that affect fixed and variable costs. It also analyzes cost behavior pattern to explain concepts like breakeven point, indifference point, and operating leverage.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
HUMAN RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
HRO3111 -
This simulation takes the learner through the challenges of managing a team of individuals while implementing a project. S/he experiences challenges arising in a situation where organizational hierarchies and reporting scenarios do not provide decision-making support.
S/he will see how achieving personality-job fit helps team members perform better. The learner will see the importance of identifying needs of team members using various needs and motivation theories like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory and the ERG theory. The learner will then apply these theories through interventions that address the team members’ needs to motivate and manage these individuals.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
HUMAN RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
HRO3113 -
In this simulation, the learner observes how changes brought about as a result of strategic initiatives within a company affect work design and organizational culture. S/he will experience the challenges of implementing structural changes in an organization.
In doing so, the learner will experience the challenges of implementing changes and the factors of resistance at both individual and organizational levels. S/he will plan and implement strategies based on tactics for overcoming resistance to change and lead the employees toward achieving the organizational goals.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
MIS3111 -
Implementing a CRM system requires a complete overhaul of existing business processes.
It necessitates reorientation of the way traditional sales, marketing, and service centers operate. It requires automation of the work processes, preparation and training of the workforce, and streamlining of databases.
This simulation will take you through the CRM system in an aircraft manufacturing company.
You will see how changing business needs and scenarios affect your decisions about the implementation of the system.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
MIS3112 -
A well-designed system can fail if not properly implemented. While acquiring a system, an
IS officer needs to consider various evaluation criteria.
This simulation illustrates the key decisions to be taken as the acquisition, training and implementation phases of a system development life cycle. The learner makes evaluative decisions regarding investment or upgradation of systems and performance related analysis of the same. The learner also analyzes training needs on end-user operation and implementation for maximum impact and selects a conversion method to transfer data from the old to the new system.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
MIS3113 -
Strategic Information Systems (SIS) are information systems that provide a firm with competitive products and services that give it a strategic advantage over its competitors in the market place; promote business innovation, improve operational efficiency, and build strategic information resources for a firm.
This simulation guides the learner through the information requirements of a pre-engineered metal building systems and architectural products company. The learner explores how decisions on the information systems affect business processes in the company.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
LEADERSHIP
LDR3111 -
This simulation takes the learner through the challenges faced by contemporary leaders of organizations. The learner is taken through situations where informal relationships within social networks reflect power play and politics at work places. S/he implements interventions that lead employees to a position where they are able and willing—both competent and capable of contributing to organizational growth.
The learner creates and derives a leadership style to lead the organization through these challenging situations. During this process, the learner observes the managerial perspective of traditional situations where leadership influences the organization and directs it towards growth.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS
LAW3111 -
This simulation serves to highlight the importance of reviewing an existing/new business contract; a habit that will reduce the misery in times of dispute with a business partner.
The learner interprets clauses of a business contract during a dispute to form a negotiation plank, argue performance of the contract, and renegotiate and draft a new contract.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS
LAW3112 -
This simulation underlines the level of importance government places on the preservation of the environment and its means of enforcing environmental regulation. The learner takes on the role of a business manager facing a crisis arising from allegations of environmental damage. S/he also deals with the ethical issues facing business managers involved in resolving potentially damaging lawsuits, and the possible legal way(s) out of such dilemmas.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS
LAW3113 -
This simulation examines the complexities regarding layoffs and the possible risk of discrimination lawsuits. It demonstrates how decisions impact the lives of employees and the legal ramifications of any indiscretions committed in this regard.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
MARKETING MANAGEMENT
MKT3111 -
For a marketer, accurately forecasting market demand is of crucial importance. As these numbers are generated from expectations, opinions, statements, prior patterns, and a host of other subjective elements, it is also one of the most difficult.
This simulation illustrates some of the key tools deployed by marketers and their relevance in different market situations from product launch to market maturation. The learner makes decisions using the Delphi technique, segment analysis, and end-user analysis in different phases of the product life cycle.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
MARKETING MANAGEMENT
MKT3112 -
To gain an edge in a mature market, where product offerings are comparable and consumer tastes are well defined, marketers may consider bundling service offerings with their product.
This simulation illustrates how such a differentiation enhances product value and competitive advantage. The learner selects the services to offer taking into account its cost-effectiveness and perceived value. The goal is to offer increased product value without eroding profits or losing market share.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
MARKETING MANAGEMENT
MKT3113 -
Placing the product within customer reach is as much a contributing factor to sales as product, price, and packaging. As distribution channels directly impact market penetration, the channel composition needs to reflect the overall marketing strategy of the company.
This simulation examines the effectiveness of various distribution channels. The learner selects these channels and resellers based on factors such as market coverage, industry experience, and shelf-space with an eye on maximizing utilization of the company’s sales resources. This simulation also examines the impact of pricing and trade and consumer promotions on the sales of a product.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
OPE3111 -
Managing waiting lines, is not about shorter or longer queues, but about maintaining a balance between the demand for service and the capacity of the system to provide the service.
This simulation illustrates how implementing changes to control the waiting time and queue length affect the process in the restaurant. The learner makes key decisions on service and kitchen staffing, service layout, and investment in equipment service standards to regulate waiting time and queue length within statistical control.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
OPE3112 -
With changing markets and product diversification, designing process layouts could in fact become an art. Process layouts must not only be designed for maximum efficiency and productivity they must also be flexible enough to reflect the future requirements of the company without too much additional investment.
This simulation examines how decisions on layout affect efficacy of the process and employee productivity and morale. The learner implements changes in layout design taking into account the changing market demand and business requirements. The learner is also sensitized to the fact that redesigning layouts involves substantial capital investments and impacts the profitability of the factory.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
OPE3113 -
Saving for a rainy day may not be the maxim to follow when ordering supplies as carrying large inventories reduces profit. On the other hand, finding yourself short of supplies could be just as serious.
This simulation illustrates the main factors to consider while managing an inventory so as not to undermine profits while maintaining a steady stream of supply. The learner determines the required lot sizes, cycle service levels, and safety stock to minimize inventory costs. The learner also utilizes demand forecasts to make the right inventory decisions and eventually makes a choice between two vendors to optimize the cost of purchase, minimize order quantity and ascertain alternate supply plans in case of natural calamities.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
RESEARCH METHODS
RES3111 -
In this simulation, the learner understands how to optimize a market research design configuration. By analyzing secondary data, designing a questionnaire, and conducting an experiment, the learner gets to know how to collect appropriate data that will answer the given research questions.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
RESEARCH METHODS
RES3112 -
This simulation requires the student to take investment decisions based on the decision tree, Bayesian theorem, expected monetary value, expected opportunity loss, and expected value of perfect information.
It also helps the learner understand the normal probability distribution function for a continuous random variable and marginal analysis.
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S i m u l a t i o n B a s e d l e a r n i n g o b j e c t s
RESEARCH METHODS
RES3113 -
This simulation discusses some commonly used statistical techniques in decision-making.
The techniques covered are: Multiple regression model building, hypothesis testing (onetailed and two-tailed Z tests), and the Chi-square test. This simulation also helps the learner in choosing the appropriate analytical technique to solve the given problem.
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