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; and
• Ensure your company has the financial resources it needs for the upcoming year.

The sample resources used for the Rehearsal, including its Foundation FastTrack (see below) and Industry Conditions Report, mirror those used in the actual simulation.

The Rehearsal is available from your simulation Dashboard.

1.2.2 The Foundation FastTrack

Every round, you and your competitors will have access to an industry newsletter called the Foundation FastTrack. The FastTrack (described in Chapter 5) is an extensive year-end report of the sensor industry. It includes customer buying patterns, product positioning, public financial records and other information that will help you get ahead. In business, knowledge is power. If you want to evaluate your company’s performance or analyze your competitors, the FastTrack is the place to start.

&Every product’s Customer Survey Score (Chapter 3) can be found in the FastTrack’s Segment Analysis pages. These scores determine sales distribution. In general, the higher the score, the better the sales.

The FastTrack Reports “Last Year’s Results.”
The FastTrack available at the start of Round 1 displays results for Round 0, when all companies were equal just after the monopoly’s breakup. The FastTrack 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 FastTrack is available from two locations:

• From the Foundation Web Application, click Reports in the menu bar; and
• On the website, log into your simulation and click the Reports link.

1.2.3 The Situation Analysis

Completing the Situation Analysis (Chapter 9) 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)

The Situation Analysis is available from your simulation Dashboard.

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 Foundation Web Application’s Proformas menu. To access the annual reports:

• From the Foundation Web Application, click Reports in the menu bar; or
• On the website, log into your simulation then click the Reports link.

1.2.5 The Foundation Web Application

The Foundation Web Application 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

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. Clicking it will give you detailed information about the area you are viewing.