TOPSIM
Manufacturing
Tailor-Made
Training for Specific
Customer Needs
The emerging leaders and future managers of Continental got the opportunity to partake in
a first time online business challenge. Coming from a mostly non-business background, the
participating trainees acquainted themselves with the major financial ratios and figures while
gaining crucial knowledge about a niche market they operate in.
The Continental AG celebrated its 140th anniversary and has continued to grow from
its beginnings as a specialist solely for tires and rubber products into a leading global
automotive supplier. “We are there to meet the demands of our customers around the
globe and, at the same time, help significantly shape the current automotive megatrends,”
said Dr. Elmar Degenhart, Executive Board Chairman, Continental. “Our workforce totaling
approximately 160,000 employees worldwide forms the basis on which we can successfully
pursue our strategy of profitable growth.”
The need for business simulation
Continental AG decided to invest in a custom-made training for its trainees from the
emerging division ‘electronic cars’. TATA Interactive Systems (TIS) developed an innovative
management simulation, which is an online challenge specifically designed to counter
Continental’s market challenges, such as:
» Positioning of new technologies in markets which are difficult to predict
» Capacity planning while customer demand is uncertain
» Detailed planning of working capital in a highly capital intense industry
» Dealing with high technological investments, while car prices are falling and
competition of already established car manufacturers increases
The virtual company in the online challenge therefore closely resembles Continental’s
business model and thus the day-to-day reality for the participants.
© 2014 Tata Interactive Systems. All rights reserved.
TOPSIM
Manufacturing
The business simulation
The online simulation was conducted over a period of 7 weeks over the internet and
allowed Continental’s 16 trainees from different countries and continents to participate.
Starting with an online kick-off session (webinar), participants got to know each other,
were divided into four competing teams and had the opportunity to play one “test-period”
to familiarize themselves with the system. After the successful kick-off, the teams had
to operate “their” virtual business for six periods (one period representing one business
year). Every period participants received so called “period news” with important market
information and had to strategize on how to steer their business to set themselves apart
from competition while aiming to make the highest profit and achieve the highest share
price – two of the main factors determining the winning team.
How our solution helped
The use of latest technologies such as webinars, desktop sharing, online chats as well as an
online-cockpit platform for the steering of the companies were some of the innovations
that were integrated into the online simulation and allowed the easy cross-country
communication and networking of the individual teams. Others included periodic business
newsletters that participants received after every period, containing data which they used
to base their decisions on for the following periods. These reports included descriptions
of the markets and results of their previous decisions. Furthermore, participants received
theoretical input prior to each period and had continuous support via phone and/or email.
Impact of Learning
After the seminar, Continental acknowledged the participants as “knowledge-agents” for
any business related question on their respective sites. Furthermore, Continental plans to
replicate this challenge in other areas and divisions in future.
© 2014 Tata Interactive Systems. All rights reserved.