Capsim News
The Semi-Annual Capsim Challenge Kicks Off April 13, 2012 with Students from Around the World Competing Elimination-style to See Who is Truly CEO Material
Chicago (April 2012) — Each spring students from colleges and universities worldwide set down their books and fire up their computers to compete in an online global competition designed to see who has the business prowess to run a multi-million dollar company. The competition is created and scored by Capsim Management Simulations, Inc.®, a global leader in business simulation technology used by universities and colleges to give students experience running a $100 million corporation.
"The Capsim Challenge provides the opportunity for students to integrate what they have learned in business school in a realistic way by running a simulated company, including overseeing the business's marketing, product development, finances and more," said Capsim Challenge Coordinator Brendan Langen. "Prior to participating in the Challenge, all participants have had experience in operations , research and development and financial analysis through the use of Capsim's Capstone® and Foundation® Business Simulations in their college courses."
For two weeks of fierce competition beginning Friday, April 13, 2012, over 1,500 teams of 1 to 5 students will compete to see who has the intellect and business savvy to be a winning CEO. Participants start with a mock $100 million enterprise with various products that aren't meeting customers' needs, and many other problems. It is the students' job to select a strategy for their company, revamp its products or create new ones, as well as figure out the business's marketing and sales plans.
From this initial competition, 12 finalists (6 Capstone, 6 Foundation) are chosen to compete in a weekend of intense business warfare before the winning teams are announced on April 30, 2012.
For many students, the Capsim Challenge drives them to think strategically and employ tactics that will help them run their simulated business as efficiently as possible. And as in the real world, students will have investors to answer to, sales goals to meet, and competition to monitor.
The Capsim Challenge is also an opportunity for students to compete with other aspiring business leaders from around the world and to prove their own skills as a potential CEO or successful entrepreneur. This year's Challenge includes teams from several countries, including the United States, Australia, Taiwan, India, Canada, Poland and Switzerland.
For many past Capsim Challengers, the competition is a plus for their resumes. "Businesses today are looking for people with experience in decision making who have a strong overall sense of how business works," said Capsim CEO and co-founder Craig Watters. "Capsim's Business Simulations are a valuable addition to university learning because they provide real- life experience running a company and require students to make tough decisions to grow the company's bottom line and meet their marketing and sales goals. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see one of our Challenge winners on the cover of Forbes magazine one day."
Past Capsim Challenge winners have gone on to hold senior positions with worldwide businesses. "We are proud of Capsim Challenge participants who have translated what they learned in business school and through our simulations into successful corporate careers," said Watters.
The Spring 2012 Capsim Challenge kicks off on Friday, April 13, 2012 at 12 p.m. CDT with final rounds beginning Friday, April 27, 2012 at 12 p.m. CDT and going through Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 6 p.m. CDT. The winners will be announced Monday, April 30, 2012 at 12 p.m. CDT.
To interview participating students, as well as the creators of the Capsim Challenge, contact the
Capsim Challenge Coordinator, Brendan Langen at
About the Spring 2012 Capsim Challenge
The Capsim Challenge is a global online competition held in the spring and fall semester each
year designed to test the business smarts of undergraduate and graduate students worldwide.
The competitions are open to all students who have used a Capsim business simulation in
their recent university course work. Each simulation is designed to mimic real-world corporate
issues and dilemmas putting students in realistic decision-making roles where they have to
successfully run a company. The simulation covers finance, marketing, product development,
labor negotiations, and human resources issues. Individuals can play with or without a team
(five-person team maximum). The Challenge begins with eight qualifying rounds on April 13,
2012 followed by two days of finals (April 27-29, 2012). The winning team will be announced
on April 30, 2012. For more information on the Spring 2012 Capsim Challenge, please visit
www.capsim.com.
About Capsim Management Simulations, Inc.
Capsim is a global leader in business simulation technology and services designed to teach
business acumen in any learning environment. Capsim Business Simulations create rich learning experiences
that give participants, whether in an academic or corporate setting, the opportunity to practice
the skills and build the business acumen that are behind today's successful companies. More
than 100,000 participants at over 500 schools and corporations have built their business
acumen through Capsim learning experiences. For more information on Capsim, please visit
www.capsim.com.
About Foundation
The Capsim Foundation simulation experience is an engaging, immersive exploration of core
business processes. Participants learn by running a business that simulates the management
decision processes in a competitive environment. The Foundation simulation provides solid
exposure to the essential elements in business such as the critical relationships among the
key business areas of research and development, marketing, production, and finance. Two
additional functional modules, Human Resources (HR) and Total Quality Management (TQM)
are available with Foundation.
About Capstone Capstone is the Capsim flagship business management simulation. The Capstone simulation experience is richer in scope than Capsim Foundation, yet similar in structure. Participants in a Capstone business simulation find themselves faced with more strategy-based decision making because of the introduction of more sophisticated functional areas in the form of the Advanced Marketing module and the Labor Negotiation module. Also, the addition of more products and segments results in a substantial increase in data and competitive variables. The experience emulates real-world challenges that corporate managers face in today's global marketplace.