Iglu.com Microworld

Like all our microworlds, this game is a self-contained PC application, for use by individuals or small teams. It plays out business performance over a time-scale that is long enough to experience the complexity of strategy and decision-making. Teams control strategy by making a small number of key decisions, and can progress through the simulation at their own pace, trying alternatives and saving scenarios.

Initial conditions

Launching a new online ski-vacation business to capture a large but limited number of suppliers (owners of ski chalets) and customers (people who would like to fix their own ski-vacation). Starting the business from a very small base of staff, some of whom try to sign up suppliers, whilst another group provides advice and service to customers.

The simulation runs over 48 months years, with monthly decisions. Decisions can be set to repeat over a number of periods automatically (though beware that this is a seasonal business).

Objectives

Build a dominant business in the online ski-vacation market fast and generate positive and growing cash flows quickly.

Feature List
Decisions	Three decisions: Marketing spend, hiring sales people and hiring service staff. Teams choose when to run forward and the simulation runs forward one month with each step, or can choose to repeat decisions over several months.
"Go Back" option	A 'Go back' option allows previous decisions to be revised an alternative strategies explored.
Challenges	No pre-set challenges are included in this game, but guidance is provided on creating interesting scenarios that offer different situations for students to work with.
Save new challenges	Teams can save the game at any point, to explore alternative strategies. Instructors can create new challenges by running the game with their own decisions, then saving and distributing the game to teams.
Resource map	A 'Resource Map' of the business architecture showing key resource relationships is available. In addition, detailed diagrams showing how competition for suppliers and customers are available.
Reports	Cash flow and value added reports at month end and on quarterly and annual basis.
Graphs	Numerous graphs are included in the resource-map of the business, covering suppliers, customers, staff and financials. Graphs for other data items are available by clicking on table headings.
Table data	Four tables showing entire history of customer, supplier, staffing, and financial data. Plus tables of all public variables and user decisions.
Save Comments with games	When saving games can add comments: this makes it easy to create new scenarios for students.
Table of User Decisions	Makes it easy to keep track of your actions.
Table of all public variables	Analysis of game results is made easy with this feature which allows results for all variable to be copied to a spreadsheet for further analysis.
Copy to other applications	Images of all Reports, Graphs and Tables can be copied into other applications for inclusion in documents and slide presentations produced. All game data can be copied from the tables into spreadsheets for further analysis.
Custom Graphs	Any item appearing in a table can be represented as a graph - simply double click on the table heading.
Teachers materials	Site License materials include the user’s guide as well as instructor’s slides and slide notes.