1. ENGINUITY 2014 Learning How To Play
Copyright Virtual Management Simulations

2. Navigation Navigate through the presentation by using :-
buttons to load specific topics
buttons for movement to specific points
buttons for self-paced demonstrations of topics
hotspots to display further information.
The mouse, and not the keyboard, should be used at all times.
Demo
Hotspot

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Introduction
The Participants’ Module is the software used by participants to take part in an ENGINUITY competition. It enables :-
Decisions to be made for each period relating to the key managerial functions
Company performance to be measured and assessed
The global economic outlook in which the company is operating to be analysed
Company information is held in a company database, which is unique to each team. The company database is selected using the Select Company Database button.
The following sections will guide you through learning how to play ENGINUITY, covering the key
points you need to know, such as :-
How to use the Participants’ Module
Getting the most out of the Tutorial
Practising, or trialling, the key to success
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4. Contents The Participants’ Module Learning Tools
Selecting The Company Database
Submitting Decisions
The Main Menu
Making Decisions
Learning Tools
The Tutorial
Trialling
Exit

5. Selecting The Company Database
Participants’ Module
All the information a team needs to manage their business is held in the company database, which is in Access format.
Every company database follow the same naming convention of “ccc_t?p?.dat” where :-
ccc is the competition id
t is the team’s unique number
p is the current period
The company database used to learn how to play ENGINUITY depends upon the nature of the competition.
For the annual competition for industry the trial company database “trial2014_t1p5.dat” is used. This can be downloaded from the Participants‘ Area of the website.
For all other competitions the trial data normally used will be the live data for the competition. This will have been sent to all team contacts by the competition controller when the team registers for a competition.
Whichever database is used :-
It should be placed in appropriate local folder.
The name of the company database should not be altered.
As an example we will use the first scenario, where the trial database being used is for the annual competition for industry.
The Select Company Database button from the opening screen of the software is used to browse for, and connect to, the company database.
The trial database, “trial2014_t1p5.dat” is downloaded from the Participants‘ Area of the website, and placed in a folder structure setup specifically for the competition.
Initially the trial data is placed in the “default” folder.
Further sub folders are created to hold different trials, and their results.
Key Point(s)
The name of the company database does not need to be changed, since the folder structure separates the different trials.
The database is highlighted by clicking on it, and then the Open button used to connect to it.
Once a successful connection had been made to the required company database the Main Menu is displayed, and decisions can be made for the current period.
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The Main Menu
Participants’ Module
The Main Menu displays relevant information about the company being managed :-
Company database; The location of the company database being used.
Team details; team number, name and the management structure.
Current status; The current key performance indicator score of the company, and the period in which they are operating.
The Industry information menu has options that describe the conditions of both the local (UK) and global economy in which the company is operating.
The Miscellaneous menu has additional ‘housekeeping’ options
Using a pull-down menu structure, the Main Menu is the gateway to managing the company.
The Assessing performance menu has options that enable company performance to be measured and assessed.
The Making decisions menu has options that enable decisions to be entered each period relating to the key functions of the business.
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Making Decisions
Participants’ Module
Rather than going back to the Main Menu, the Relevant company information options provide a short cut to company information related directly to the current decisions, and which can help in making effective decisions.
The Help menu is split into two sections. The Guide options give an overview of key features related to the current decisions, with links to the Industry information where appropriate.
Clicking on the Making decisions option reveals the four decision screens relating to Finance, Overheads, Procurement and Job Progression.
Each decision screen is described in detail in the Tutorial, but we will take a closer look at some of the important features that are common to them all.
We will use the Financial decisions as the example.
All the decision screens have some common menu options.
Change decisions can be used to move between decision screens.
Key Point(s)
Only one decision screen can be opened at once.
Change period can be used to display the decisions made in previous periods, denoted as ‘Completed’.
On all the decision screens :-
Input fields are denoted by black text on a white background
Read-only information is shown in different coloured backgrounds, normally yellow, pink or grey.
The default mode when opening any of the decision screens is to enable decisions to be made for the current period.
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Submitting Decisions
Participants’ Module
In the Trialling section we will look in more detail at how the feedback and the period 6 database can be used to review the quality of trial decisions made for period 5.
Having made some decisions the Participants’ Module is closed down, and the trial database is ed to the Competition Controller for processing and feedback.
The Competition Controller processes the trial decisions for period 5, and s back the database for the next period, trial2014_t1p6,dat, which contains the results for period 5.
The database for period 6 is placed in the sub folder attempt 1, where the original decisions were stored.
Decisions have been made using the trial database “trial2014_t1p5.dat”, which are stored in the folder c:\enginuity2014\trial data\attempt1.
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The Tutorial
Learning Tools
The tutorial is a detailed powerpoint slideshow, and the first source of help for learning about how to play ENGINUITY.
The key slide in the tutorial is the contents slide, which is the gateway to all the other information.
Let us suppose that information is needed about how to bid for a job.
Although the tutorial introduces the key concepts, the best way to learn about Enginuity is to have a go, and practising (trialling) is discussed in another section.
The Glossary contains lots of useful information that elaborates in more detail on selected topics.
First, click on the Procurement button in the Making Decisions section.
Then, click on the Bidding Decisions button to learn how to bid for a job.
Key Point(s)
The green buttons are self-paced demonstrations of specific topics.
Clicking on a hotspot will reveal further information.
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Trialling
Learning Tools
Trialling is very flexible, and trials can be submitted either :-
As a group/team effort
Individually
The Company Performance Summary provide a detailed set of performance statistics relating to all aspects of the company’s activities, and can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses, and explain the rise and fall of particular key performance indicators.
The top section of the summary relates to the state of the company at the end of the History.
The bottom section of the summary relates to the performance of the company since the History.
The 3 areas that are particular useful are :-
The Key Performance Indicators for measuring overall performance.
The Performance Summary for analysing performance in key areas since the History.
The Management Consultants Report for reviewing in detail performance by period, and in particular areas of concern.
We will take a closer look at each one.
For teams to manage their company as effectively as possible they need to spend time learning about ENGINUITY, and there is the opportunity to trial the software prior to the start of a competition using some trial data.
Past experience has shown that trialling is the real key to success, and can make all the difference between starting a competition well, or not so well.
During the trial phase a team is able to gain a good understanding of how to manage their company effectively, learning about the decisions and concepts involved. As the saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect’.
Trial decisions are sent by to the Competition Controller for processing.
The returned from the Competition Controller containing the trial results consists of two elements :-
Detailed feedback on the itself
The updated period 6 database containing all the results for period 5
We will now take a closer look at each one.
Using the feedback and the period 6 database a thorough review can be carried out of the performance during period 5.
From the assessment of the results changes can then be made to the period 5 decisions, and another trial submitted.
After a few trials performance should improve considerably, and it should not be long before the team, and its members, will be well prepared for the competition ahead.
Further trialling Change the previous decisions, and have another go
Review results for period 5 Review the results for period 5, and determine changes required to previous decisions.
Feedback returned Trial results are returned, along with detailed feedback.
Submit decisions for processing the trial company database to the competition controller for processing.
Make decisions for period 5 Use the Participants‘ Module to enter decisions into the trial company database for period 5.
Trial assessment
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are used to measure the progress of the company, and initially total 1,000 points at the start of period 5.
The total KPI score at the end of period 5 is shown, and is a measure of the quality of the decisions submitted, and is based upon reviewing all the decisions.
In addition, the results are graded somewhere between the lowest possible, "Some major problems", through to the highest possible, "Excellent".
Key Point(s)
Even with a grading of "excellent" it may be possible to improve the overall numerical score with some subtle tweaks to the decisions.
Detailed feedback
Detailed feedback is also provided on the for each of the four decision screens, and concentrates on areas that could be improved.
The feedback is accompanied by supporting help, and references to the tutorial for further information.
Key Points(s)
The feedback is only provided during trialling, and not during the live competition
Key performance indicators
10 key performance indicators are used to measure the overall success of the company.
The indicators are weighted according to their variability, totalling a 1,000 at the end of the History.
As time progresses the weighting of each indicator will change, highlighting improvements or deteriorations in that area, but the overall total will be the measure by which the ultimate progress of the company is determined.
After opening the period 6 database, the Main Menu provides a number of tools for assessing performance.
Measuring performance
The Key performance indicators are used to determine how well a company is performing overall.
The Performance summary provide detailed information that can be used to assess how well particular areas of the business are performing, and can help to explain the success or failure of particular performance indicators.
Analysing performance
The Management consultants report is a detailed review carried out each period by an external management consultant, and can be a valuable aid in managing the company successfully, especially in addressing areas of concern.
The Financial analysis displays detailed financial information for previous periods.
The Overhead analysis displays detailed overhead information for previous periods, relating to the key overhead departments.
The Procurement analysis displays detailed bidding analysis for previous periods.
The Job analysis displays detailed job information.
The Personnel analysis displays detailed personnel information for previous periods, relating to clients, project managers and consultants.
Updated trial database
The feedback will provide a initial assessment of the quality of the trial decisions.
However, for a more detailed analysis the period 6 database should be opened in the Participants’ Module, after first saving it to an appropriate folder.
Management Consultants Report
The Management Consultants Report (MCR)is a detailed review carried out each period by an external management consultant, and can be a valuable aid in managing the company successfully, especially in addressing areas of concern.
For the trial the results the MCR can be filtered for :-
Period 5 only
Where the nature is “N”, representing the negative comments, and areas that may need addressing
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