1.2 Management Tools

Here are the tools you need to run your company.

1.2.1 The Rehearsal Tutorial

Think of the Rehearsal Tutorial as a driving school for the simulation. The tutorial will show you ways to steer the company, including how to:

• Invent and revise products;
• Make marketing decisions;
• Schedule production and buy/sell equipment;
• Ensure your company has the financial resources it needs for the upcoming year.

The sample resources used for the Rehearsal, including its Capstone Courier and Industry Conditions Report, mirror those used in the actual simulation.

To access the Rehearsal, log in at the Capsim website and go to the Getting Started area.

1.2.2 The Capstone Courier

You and your competitors have access to the industry newspaper, the Capstone Courier. The Courier, described in Chapter 5, is a complete year-end report on the sensor industry including customer buying patterns, product positioning, manufacturing capacity and public financial information. Knowledge is power. If you have a question about your company, your customer or a competitor, start with the Capstone Courier.

The Courier’s Segment Analysis pages report Customer Survey Scores (detailed in Chapter 3) which play a large part in determining sales distributions. In general, the higher the score, the greater the sales.

The Courier displays “Last Year’s Results.” The Courier available at the start of Round 1 displays last year’s results for Round 0, when all companies were equal just after the monopoly’s breakup. The Courier available at the start of Round 2 will display the results for Round 1. As the simulation progresses and strategies are implemented, results among the competing companies will begin to vary.

The Courier is available from two locations:

• From the Capstone Spreadsheet, click Reports in the menu bar;
• On the website, log into your simulation and click the Reports link.

1.2.3 The Situation Analysis

Completing the Situation Analysis will enable you to understand current market conditions and how the industry will evolve in the next few years. It will assist you with your operational planning.

The Situation Analysis comes in two versions:

• Online interactive
• Downloadable PDF (pen and paper)

To access the Situation Analysis, log into your simulation and go to the Getting Started area.

1.2.4 Proformas & Annual Reports

Proformas and annual reports are specific to your company. Proformas are projections for the upcoming year. Annual reports are the results from the previous year.

The proformas will help you envision the impacts of your pending decisions and sales forecasts. The annual reports will help you analyze last year’s results.

Proformas are only available from the Capstone Spreadsheet’s Proformas menu. To access the annual reports:

• From the Capstone Spreadsheet, click Reports in the menu bar; and
• On the website, log into your simulation then click the Reports link.

1.2.5 The Capstone Spreadsheet

The Capstone Spreadsheet is the nerve center of your company where you formulate and finalize management decisions for every department. The spreadsheet comes in two versions:

• A Web Version that allows you to work via any Internet browser; and
• An XLS Version that runs via Microsoft® Excel®.

After you log into your simulation, the spreadsheet is available from the Decisions link.

1.2.6 Just in Time Information

In the spreadsheet decision areas, look for the flag symbol shown to the right. Clicking it will give you detailed information about the area you are viewing.