WaveRiders make inflatable dinghies for the leisure and military markets. With business performance in freefall you must use your analytical and strategic skills to find a viable future for this sinking company!
You have the following company files: finance data, sales history, production capacity, staffing, P&L accounts, Balance Sheets etc. Once you have an overview, a SWOT analysis will establish more accurately the current position. You can then work out your proposed strategy for the future.
You may decide the answer to the company's problems lies in marketing, the workforce or even the product itself. You’ll then receive six strategy cards, each one pointing to a different way forward. It’s your job to identify the one that best fits your findings. Hopefully, you'll choose the right one - and be able to argue your case! You may also be asked (by the Trainer) to prepare P&L projections for your chosen future strategy.
Teams take turns to explain their proposals (making this business simulation activity ideal for practising presentation skills). Full Trainer’s Notes explain the pros and cons of each strategy card and identifies the best one.
- To use financial data to analyse an organisation
- To conduct a SWOT analysis
- To work with facts, not assumptions
- To think strategically about the market
- To work as a management team on key decisions
- The value of good presentation skills
Ideally suited to:
General management programmes and for getting to grips with the basics of strategy. Also ideal for individual assessment of candidates for middle/senior management.
- Divide participants into teams and introduce the activity
- Issue Team Folders containing the company details
- Allow teams up to 50 minutes to study the material and do a SWOT analysis
- Observe the teams in action
- Issue further materials (future options) and allow the teams time to pick their strategy
- Lead a Debrief and listen to the team’s ideas. Use the PowerPoint presentation to consolidate the learning.
Full guidance supplied in the Trainer’s Notes.
- Trainer’s Notes
- Trainer's PowerPoint
- Team Briefing Folders containing 9 pp of info: Company History / Current Market / Financial Records for Previous Year / Internal Comments 1 / Internal Comments 2 / Market Research / Sales History & Personnel Data / Five-Year Financial & Production Summaries / Organisation Structure
- Six Strategy Cards
This activity is supplied digitally via the Northgate Trainerhub. No delivery charges apply.
This Northgate Training activity comes with a five-year licence for repeat use with up to 24 participants at a time, for use by Trainers based at one licence-holding site (one Trainer can use the simulation at a time).
All Trainers physically based at the same office location can access the Northgate resources during the five-year term, including the digital resources supplied on the Trainerhub via your own site-specific Trainer Dashboard. If you have Trainers based at other locations, and/or remote workers, who would like to access and use the Northgate resources, we can advise further depending on your requirements.
For further information on our licence terms please view the Northgate Licence Agreement.
To use with more than 24 or for multiple site licences please contact us for a quote.
