IBE Business Game
August 2020 - December 2020
In the Fall of 2020, I took an IBE course that involved learning how to use
Microsoft Excel for optimization and modeling in a variety of business
applications. We were then able to directly apply these concepts in the second
part of the course: a business simulation game.
The business game involved our class forming 12 teams, or companies, that would
compete for the largest amount of net assets by the end of the semester.
Every team started with the identical assets and were in direct competition
with each other, selling identical units. Each week, all of the teams decided
how to price units across 12 cities, whether we want to build new plants or
warehouses, and how to invest our cash, whether it’s buying stocks in other
companies, certificates of deposit, cost control programs, advertizing, and
R&D.
My team took a conservative approach throughout the game by keeping
moderate prices, safe stock investments, and inventory. We used some of the
optimization strategies we learned in class to aid in certain decisions, such
as our weekly pricing strategy. In the trial run of the simulation, our team
placed first, and in the real simulation, we placed third. Our moderate strategy
was rewarding and proved the effectiveness of a well-thought and analyzed plan.