Target Profit Pricing With the Web-Based Breakeven Analysis Package

The web-based Breakeven Analysis Package enables competing participant teams to consider cost and demand factors when setting price. Participants set target profit and desired margin or price for each strategic business unit (SBU). The fixed and variable costs are computed based on inputs extracted from the simulation results. Based on these inputs, the unit and dollar sales needed to achieve the target profit at the set price are computed for each SBU. Participants can adjust the desired profit and margin or price until the unit and dollar sales needed to achieve the target profit at the set price are realistic. Cell comments clarify input variables used and calculations made

Strategic Market Planning With the COMPETE Product Portfolio Analysis Package: A Marketing Decision Support System

This paper presents the COMPETE Product Portfolio Analysis Package, a new pc-based marketing decision support system used by competing participant teams in the marketing simulation COMPETE to apply their knowledge of product portfolio analysis in strategic market planning. This package enables each firm having numerous products serving several markets with differing potentials to visualize and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their portfolio of products relative to the product portfolios of their competitors. Based on this analysis, each firm allocates its limited resources so as to optimize the performance of the portfolio of products while maintaining cash in balance

Augmenting Engagement and Learning via Decision Support

Based on learning and engagement theory, this paper provides evidence on behavioral and affective (perceptual) engagement among competing simulation team members as well as value-added to the learning experience with the use of decision support systems (dss). Behavioral evidence on engagement includes aggregate download statistics of online dss packages, dss package demo videos (suggested by students), and dss-related articles. Affective (perceptual) engagement evidence on dss package effectiveness and value-added to the user learning experience includes individual participant survey responses on dss package usage, usefulness, effectiveness, usage experience, and value-added to the learning experience. The results suggest that (a) dss-induced user autonomy, relatedness and competence foster engagement. Further, complex heavy workload demands under time pressure can be offset by range of decision-making freedom and the amount of support provided

Online Marketing Control with the Strategic Business Unit Analysis Package

The Online Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Analysis Package enables competing participant teams to assess the contribution of each SBU within their brand portfolio to the overall profit or loss of the company. Participants enter regional sales force time allocation and advertising expense as well as product RD& expenditure. The SBU sales revenue and cost of sales are extracted from the simulation results. Other SBU operating expenses are computed from regional operating expenses and company-wide salesforce salary and commission decisions extracted from the simulation results. Based on these inputs, the SBU Profit or Loss is computed. Cell comments clarify input variables used and calculations made

Checking Financial Balance of Target Brand Portfolio with the Strategic Market Plan Cash Flow Package

The Online Strategic Market Plan (SMP) Cash Flow Package is used to assess the viability of a SMP. Based on a strategic analysis of the brand portfolio, participants develop a target brand portfolio with associated strategies for their nine strategic business units (SBUs). They enter the estimated annual sources and uses of cash associated with these strategies. The annual sources and uses of cash for the prior three years of operation are computed from quarterly sources and uses of cash accounts extracted from the simulation results and serve as benchmarks. Based on their preview of the projected cash surplus or deficit, the SMP can be adjusted to optimize the performance of the overall brand portfolio while maintaining cash in balance

Enhancing Experiential Learning via Phased Simulation Debriefing

Phased intermediate and final simulation debriefing using the End Game Performance package turbocharges participant engagement and enhances learning

Online Cumulative Simulation Team Performance Package

The Online Cumulative Simulation Team Performance Package (developed jointly with David Walton) enables competing participant teams in the marketing simulation COMPETE to assess their cumulative team performance each period on 18 performance criteria. Participants with Web-access can determine their cumulative team ranking each decision period on six profitability, three market share, three quality, three cost of production, and three efficiency criteria. In addition, a comparative ranking of all teams on each of the above criteria can be made accessible online to all teams either every decision period (quarter), every six months, or every year of operation, based on participant preference

Comparative Static Analysis with the Complete PPA Package: A Strategic Market Planning Tool

The COMPETE Product Portfolio Analysis (PPA) Package (Version 2.00) is used by participant teams in the marketing simulation COMPETE (Faria, Nulsen, and Roussos 1994) to formulate and implement a coherent marketing strategy and to control their marketing program. This package establishes inter-period scale anchor and circle position and size comparability in the growth share matrix (GSM) and growth gain matrix (GGM) displays generated. The inter-period comparability facilitates comparative static analysis of brand trajectories on the GSM and GGM displays used by the competing participant teams in strategic market planning

Plotting Brand Trajectories with The COMPETE PPM Package: A Market Segmentation Analysis and Positioning Tool

The COMPETE PPM Package (Version LO) is used by competing participant teams in the marketing simulation COMPETE (Faria, Nulsen, and Roussos 1994) to generate a product positioning map (Kotler 1994) and to plot their own and competing brand trajectories. This product-positioning map enables a competing firm to identify which brands are in the premium, high-value, penetration or rip-off strategy quadrants and to formulate a coherent marketing strategy. The product-positioning map is used together with VALS psychographic profiles and psycho-geo-demo-graphic segmentation data concerning the target market to position their brands appropriately

Assessing Brand Portfolio Normative Consistency & Trends with the Normative Position of Brands & Trends Package

The Online Normative Position of Brands & Trends (NPB & Trends) Package is used in Strategic Market Planning (SMP) to assess the consistency of each strategic business unit (SBU) relative to its normative position at the end of each year of operation, and the trends in normative con-sistency over the course of competition. Based on an analy-sis of the strength and trends in their own brand portfolio and the brand portfolios of their competitors displayed on the Growth Share Matrix, participants check the position of each SBU on the Growth Gain Matrix relative to its norma-tive position. Corrective action is taken, if necessary, to improve their own trends in normative consistency over the course of competition. Insights are derived about competi-tor’s strategies by evaluating the normative consistency and trends of competitor brand portfolios. Based on their analysis of their own and competitor brand portfolios, the SMP is adjusted to optimize the performance of the overall brand portfolio while maintaining cash in balance. Based on reviewer feedback, an online survey of participants at the end of the Fall 2011 semester revealed that the NPB & Trends Package is easy to use, helpful in understanding normative consistency, and analyzing the brand portfolio. Participants indicated that the NPB & Trends Package adds substantial value to their Strategic Market Planning and Marketing Strategy learning experience