Tailored by Industry
Game On: What Are Your Industry Drivers?
Business simulations are powerful tools that immerse participants in realistic, risk-free environments where they can practice decision-making, strategic thinking, and problem-solving. While all industries share foundational financial elements—such as P&L, Balance Sheets, and Working Capital—certain industries, like manufacturing, offer a particularly tangible way to model these concepts.
Industry-Specific Simulations are Sometimes More Effective
The Income|Outcome® manufacturing model stands out because it covers the entire business cycle, from purchasing raw materials to selling finished goods. It clearly illustrates concepts like fixed versus variable costs and the impact of working capital.
Industry-specific simulations are sometimes more effective, particularly when industry dynamics play a crucial role—like inventory management in retail or the time constraints in a law firm.
With 30 years of experience teaching business finance, we’ve developed dozens of industry models that address specific challenges while maintaining credibility and realism. As one retired US Army General said of our work, “No one will believe a tank simulator if it doesn’t smell like diesel. Income|Outcome smells like diesel." That authenticity is the touchstone of all our simulations.
Explore our industry-specific business simulations, each designed to address unique sector challenges.
- Manufacturing: Balance efficiency, cost control, and quality in manufacturing operations.
- Legal & Professional Services: Manage client relationships, billable hours, and profitability in professional service firms.
- Channel Partners: Optimize vendor selection and relationship management to drive successful collaborations.
- Power Generation: Optimize production, compliance, and efficiency in the energy sector while managing costs and sustainability.
- Retail Sales: Enhance product distribution, customer insights, and sales tactics for improved performance and profitability.
- Sales and Service: Improve sales performance and service delivery with targeted strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and business growth.
- Healthcare: Balance patient care with financial sustainability and operational efficiency in a dynamic healthcare environment.
- Custom Industry Models: Tailored simulations to address specific challenges and goals of your organization.
Manufacturing
In the manufacturing model, teams manage their classroom business by focusing on simulation dynamics that are real-world and relevant to most people’s jobs: cutting costs, improving efficiencies, introducing Quality, and finding niche markets for existing products… not by introducing a new product or service into a new geographic market.
That approach is abandoned with longer workshops for strategic thinkers–in these games, unexpected changes in the industry are part of the challenge!
It is possible to add industry focus to the manufacturing simulation by 'tweaking' the simulation rules, or the discussion, or both! Examples include:
- Ready-to-Drink (RTD) cocktails (Beverage industry)
- The cost of rework (Pharma industry)
- The impact of disruptions in supply chain (Electronics industry)
- Customer Loyalty (Automotive industry)
- and more
Channel Partners, Retail Sales
In this channel partner simulation, teams focus on enhancing their skills in managing channel sales and partnerships. The simulation covers key aspects like optimizing product distribution, driving sales performance, and understanding different customer segments. A crucial part of the experience is learning to navigate the complexities of vendor selection and vendor management.
Participants benefit from developing a comprehensive understanding of how to choose the right vendors, build strong relationships, and manage those relationships to ensure mutual success. This includes mastering the balance between cost, quality, and service while fostering long-term partnerships that enhance overall business performance.
In longer programs, there is time to dive deeper into more advanced strategies, including solution selling, values-based selling, and account-based selling, as well as a closer look at vendor negotiations and contract management. This immersive learning ensures that participants walk away with actionable insights into channel partner dynamics, improving both their strategic planning and execution in vendor and sales management.
Healthcare
Who is this simulation for? Hospital administrators, Patient-facing staff, and sales teams selling into healthcare.
Healthcare is fundamentally about caring for as many people as possible, focusing on improving lives without regard for financial constraints. However, the reality is that healthcare operates as a business: when the business side runs efficiently, it can continue to expand care and reach more people. Conversely, if it's not well managed, the ability to care for patients diminishes year after year.
This is where a business simulation for healthcare becomes invaluable. By placing healthcare professionals in the role of hospital administrators, they are tasked with allocating resources, managing staff, and building market awareness… while still paying attention to outcomes. This hands-on experience helps them grasp the complexity of running a healthcare organization.
In a longer program, we can also dive into the dynamics of philanthropy - this element plays a crucial role in expanding healthcare's reach while maintaining the financial stability necessary to keep the doors open.
The big picture in healthcare isn't solely about improving patient outcomes; it’s equally about managing costs and ensuring operational efficiency. By simulating the challenges faced by administrators, healthcare professionals can better understand the critical interplay between delivering quality care and sustaining the business that makes it possible.
Legal & Professional Services
Who is this simulation for? Lawyers and legal support staff, Consultants, sales teams targeting Legal industry.
In professional services, whether you're a lawyer, consultant, or advisor, the mission is clear: provide expert guidance and deliver value to your clients. But, much like healthcare, professional services are also a business. If the business side isn’t managed well, the ability to serve clients will inevitably suffer. Conversely, when the business runs smoothly, professionals can focus on what matters most—delivering high-quality service while growing their practice.
A business simulation customized for professional services can be incredibly effective in driving this point home. By placing professionals in the role of managing partner, tasked with overseeing client relationships, managing billable hours, and balancing resources, they quickly gain insight into the complexities of running a successful practice.
In a longer program, we can explore additional dynamics such as client acquisition strategies, managing legal or consulting teams, and even the impact of pro bono work or socially responsible initiatives on the business model.
Ultimately, the bigger picture for professional services isn’t just about delivering results for clients (though that’s the heart of the work); it’s also about maintaining profitability, managing resources effectively, and sustaining long-term growth. When professionals understand how these elements intersect, they can create a thriving practice that excels in both service delivery and business success.
Power Generation
The power generation industry has strong dynamics: huge fluctuations in seasonal demand (cold winters and hot summers), fluctuating fuel prices, government regulations… and traditional and renewable energy sources, with changing costs and efficiencies.
Income|Outcome offers a great amount of tailoring for the power generation industry: what are the primary fuels (oil/coal/gas)? What are the competing alternative energies (solar/wind)? Is nuclear an option? What is the role of government?
Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) put ‘everyone in the company’ through a 2 day workshop and changed the way they did business.
Sales and Service
The Sales and Service simulation is suited to companies where goods or services are delivered directly to the customer (rather than warehoused) and the cost of labor (production or service) is an Income Statement expense (rather than accumulated in WIP as an asset on the Balance Sheet).
These dynamics make the market more sensitive. The simulation dynamics are real-world and relevant to most people’s jobs: Cutting costs, improving efficiencies, introducing Quality, and finding niche markets for existing products… not by introducing a new product or service into a new market.
Custom Industry Models
We also build ‘bespoke’ business models.
- Before Elon Musk there were only a few satellite companies, and building a satellite was a big project (costing many millions of dollars) and the launch was a big event. We built that model for Intelsat.
- When you apply for credit card, the company will ask for a credit reference. We built that model.
- A Pharmaceutical company had a plant where ‘rework’ was a significant dynamic. We built that model.
- A primary industry like Exploration & Production focus more on resource management and capital investment rather than working capital. We built that model.
Our industry-specific business simulations are powerful tools that can significantly enhance the skills and knowledge of participants across various sectors. By immersing participants in realistic models of their work environments, these risk-free simulations provide invaluable hands-on experience in making strategic decisions, solving problems, and managing operations. Whether in manufacturing, sales and service, power generation, healthcare, professional services, retail sales, or exploration and production, business simulations offer tailored learning experiences that address the unique challenges and dynamics of each industry. By leveraging these simulations, organizations can develop more capable and confident professionals, ultimately driving better business results and achieving long-term success.