Developed by David A. Jordan - Geneva College

BusSim is a compilation of six modules and companion cases that simulate the operation of a small manufacturing business.  The programs are divided into three levels. The Introductory level is designed to acquaint the underclassman with several simplified business decision variables.  The Analytical level modules are more detailed and designed to accompany functional core business classes as an aid to application and decision making.  The Comprehensive level is designed to integrate all the business  functional areas and focus on strategy development and firm profitability.  See Assessment Tools page for a description of the performance measures used in each BusSim module.

As a member of a small group or by yourself, BusSim can be used to allow the business student to apply business decision making to a single enterprise.  Each team/individual manages separate companies, which are in competition with each other in the same industry.  The companies are not in competition with the computer.  The computer's role is to process your decisions quickly and to provide reports that show the results of those decisions.

   INTEGRATED BUSINESS INSTRUCTION SYSTEM

         (Click in a box to access more information on individual modules)

 

As a member of a BusSim Company, you:

• act as the management team for your own company

• develop skills in planning, staffing, directing and controlling a small business

• make decisions in marketing, finance, human resources and production

• analyze past and present data to see how this information can affect future decisions

• have the opportunity to try different strategies in operating a business without the fear of failure

• put into practice the management principles that you have learned in your business courses

 

The BusSim Learning Approach

The figure below shows the BusSim approach to application and integration. The student (decision-maker) is the central figure in the learning process. The instructor acts as a coach or consultant, available to answer student questions and provide some guidance when appropriate. The casebook provides the business environmental data in which the company operates. It also provides background and some examples of past experience. The decision tools are spreadsheets provided with each program. They are valuable analytical tools used to aid in the decision making process. The BusSim module provides the computational algorithms necessary to simulate the industry.

 

Computer System Requirements:

You will need access to a personal computer with the following components or better:

• Windows 98

• 125MHz Processor

• 64 Mbytes of RAM