Thesis Projects on a Platform for Business Simulation Models

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Thesis Projects on a Platform for Business
Simulation Models
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Introduction

• Business simulations are complex software
  programs that mimic the behaviour of enterprises
  and organisations
• Development of business simulations at the
  University of Mainz with the Norwegian software
  Powersim Studio
• Project for HiA-students development of a
  web-based platform for business simulation models
  in cooperation with Grimstad using current
  Microsoft technology like .NET and C or simiiar
• programming an interface between a database,
  existing simulation models and a web-based GUI

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Issues
Description of the Project
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Use of Business Simulations
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webSYDUS
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Platform for Business Simulation Models
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technical concept of web-based simulations
Illustrating the interfaces

• Recording of
• Decisions and
• Values of Reporting variables
• Activities of the learners

Database serverMSSQL 2000
Webserver IIS 5.1.Net Framework
Powersim SDK
ASP.NetC

• PS SDK allows the access of the model
• COM-Objekt
• Powersim SDK has to be installed on the webserver

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SYDUS (model)
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Result of projects

• targets of the project(s)
• platform for administrating and simulation
  Powersim models over the internet
• prefabricated components for creating a GUI for
  different simulations

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Properties of the Project

• No knowledge about Powersim Studio required
• Working with current Microsoft technology
• Working in the context of business simulations
  can be useful for further Master of Science
  studies in Grimstad (IKT, Ind Øk)
• Relevant to the System Dynamics courses of
  Professor Gonzalez for M.Sci. students
• Relevant for ongoing research program in
  information security

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Properties of the Project

• benefits of joining the project(s)
• Cooperation with the Johannes Gutenberg-University
  of Mainz/Germany
• International University
• Stay for at least three months in Mainz
• Getting in touch with the German Culture

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Properties of the Project

• benefits of joining the project(s)
• Working language is English but opportunity to
  learn German
• Free courses for Socrates students
• Financed by a Socrates program
• Cheap travelling (Ryan Air Oslo Torp
  Frankfurt)

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Issues
Description of the Project
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Use of Business Simulations
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webSYDUS
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Platform for Business Simulation Models
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What are business simulations?

• Business simulations can represent a market with
  several enterprises in a simulation model
• Training decision making without any risks
• Seeing the consequences of decisions quicker than
  in reality
• Growing market for business simulations
• Consulting companies like McKinsey or Accenture
  make use of business simulations for strategic
  planning and management education

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The Structure of Business Simulation Models

• The business simulation SYDUS is modelled as
  follows

market
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Using a Business Simulation in Education

• Each enterprise is composed of several activities
• The learner can choose one activity and make
  decisions and see their effects
• The learner can play the simulation alone or in a
  team
• against the computer or
• against other teams
• The learners choose their strategy to control the
  enterprise
• The teacher can face the learners with a
  scenario, e. g. a market break down

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Why webSYDUS?

• Shortcomings of SYDUS
• Use of SYDUS in schools means a lot of
  administrative effort
• E.g. installation of Powersim on every computer
• Recording of behaviour of the learner is hardly
  possible
• Development of a web-based version of SYDUS
  (webSYDUS)

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Issues
Business Simulation Models
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Use of Business Simulations
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webSYDUS
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Platform for Business Simulation Models
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general structure of webSYDUS
different sections e.g. simulation
and usermanagement
some information about the user and the simulation
functions referring to the simulation e. g. the
comparison of classification numbers
links to the different activities
functions specific to the activities
functions to control the current simulation
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structure of an activity in sd-notation
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reports of an activity

• Reports as
• tables
• diagrams

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Making decisions
automatic
concrete values
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reasons for decisions
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Issues
Business Simulation Models
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Use of Business Simulations
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webSYDUS
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Platform for Business Simulation Models
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need of a platform for business simulation models

• Two reasons for a platform
• Using business simulation models in a more user
  friendly approach
• more than one business simulation model
• more users / learners schools and university
• diagnosis of behaviour of the learners within a
  business simulation
• web-based platform for business simulation models

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Functionality of a business model platform

• Platform should support the following aspects
• Uploading and configuring a Powersim model
• Creating simulations based on a model
• Using the simulation in a learning environment
• Supporting communication and cooperation between
  learners
• Recording the activities of the users / learners

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Functionality of a business model platform

• 1. Uploading and configuring a Powersim model
• Describing the model in a database, e. g.
• which activities are modelled
• assign and classifying variables
• Declaring scenarios and strategies that can be
  choosen in a simulation
• Configuring reporting tools relating to the
  different strategies

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Functionality of a business model platform

• 2. Creating simulations based on a model
• Selecting whether
• the user plays the simulation by his own or
• in a team with and against others
• Setting the access rights of a simulation
• Configuring the time-control

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Functionality of a business model platform

• 3. Using the simulation in a learning environment
• functions for supporting
• informing
• reporting and
• decision making
• 4. Supporting communication and cooperation
  between learners
• coordination the strategy within a team

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Projects

• Three programming challenges
• Developing a web-based platform to administrate
  Powersim Models for web-based simulations
  including a user-management which records every
  activity of the learners
• Developing components for creating a GUI based on
  the data from a databaseserver
• Including a system for supporting communication
  and cooperation between users

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Projects

• Questions in any respect?
• Rene.Molkenthin_at_uni-mainz.de

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