Aims

At the end of the class, students should be able, using original models built in group, to make management decisions from strategic to operational level, by taking into account their horizontal nature.

Main themes

The seminar consists in participating in the business game SYNTHESIS. The students are divided into groups ; each one represents a firm acting in a virtual, but realistic, competing world.

Content and teaching methods

Content
The seminar focuses on the participation, in groups of 4 or 5 students, in the business game SYNTHESIS.
Methods
Each stage of the business game represents one virtual quarter simulation. The game proceeds in two phases : four quarters simulation distributed on two to three weeks, followed by a final day during which all the groups are gathered at the IAG and eight quarter simulations are organized according to a gradually accelerated rate.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Prerequisite : basic courses in the four fields of management (production, finance, marketing, human resources) and in management accounting
Evaluation : preliminary and final reports, participation in the business game
Support : none
References : JUCKLER F., TABORDON N., KEYMOLEN G. and GRANDJEAN F., Simulation de gestion SYNTHESIS version 3 : manuel du participant, UCL, Université de Louvain (2001)
Pedagogic team : teachers and assistants of the POMS unit