Capsim final company performance summary

Capsim Simulation Final Company Performance Summary/ Report

I need help with Capsim Simulation Final Company Performance Summary/ Report

Prompt

Since you just finished the Capsim simulation, compiled your results, and are now looking to the future of your company, the first component of your capstone requires you to compose a company performance summary. Imagine that this summary is for new members of the topic of directors of your company. It is imperative that the topic understand your company, its value, and its development cycle over the last eight years. This is your opportunity to exhibit your knowledge of your organization, your products, and how your business functions.

High-level business executives are often short on time, so it is important that your summary is concisely written and rich in content. As has been emphasized in previous classes in the business core, effective business communication, peer-to-peer and peer-to-leader collaboration, and professional etiquette are mandatory skills to have when entering today’s business world. Because this is the last course in the business core, the second component of your capstone

requires you to reflect on your use of business communication skills, professional etiquette, and collaboration skills throughout the Capsim simulation, this course, and the previous courses you have taken in the business core.

Capstone Component 1: Executive Summary

For the first of two capstone components, you will develop a comprehensive, professional executive summary by analyzing quantitative and qualitative tools, analyzing strategic problem-solving skills, assessing any ethical, legal, or social challenges that may be encountered, analyzing global markets, and analyzing entrepreneurial approaches. This executive summary will be used to inform new members of the topic of directors who must become familiar with your company.

The following sections should be included:

I. Progress of the Company. You should briefly bring the new topic members up to speed about the progress of your company over the past eight years. While it is not important to describe every change, be sure to give an executive-level overview of the various products, strategies, and performances.

II. Current Situation. Here, discuss the current situation of your company by performing and analyzing a full SWOT analysis. a) Strengths: Identify the strengths of the organization.

b) Weaknesses: Identify the weaknesses of the organization.

c) Opportunities: Identify potential opportunities the organization should explore in order to expand.

d) Threats: Identify external factors that could negatively affect the organization.

III. Future of the Company. Consider the results of your SWOT analysis, and detail an approach you plan to take regarding your top priority at the company. Be sure to include any innovative or sustainable approaches in your plan.

IV. Ethical, Legal, and Social Challenges. Discuss any ethical, legal, or social challenges the company may have faced or could face in the future, and suggest strategies for how the company could overcome these challenges.

V. Global Considerations. In this section, discuss what necessary factors would need to be considered if the company were to expand into the global market. Consider the opportunities and threats outlined in the SWOT analysis previously in order to analyze the greatest advantages and disadvantages to expanding this company into the global market.

Capstone Component 2: Professional Reflection

For the second and final component of your capstone, you will compose a reflection in which you discuss the process and outcomes of this project, as well as how your coursework culminated in the capstone project. This may include discussions of unforeseen problems or obstacles, and any unexpected surprises. The reflection should also discuss your identified strengths and problems that you encountered while completing the capstone. Finally, the reflection will examine how the capstone project will be useful in the job market or in furthering your education.

You should envision this component as a personal reflection on the capstone and your experience in the business core program as a whole. For instance, relative to the capstone, you could discuss what you did (or intended to do), and then consider what worked well, what challenges you faced, and what you would change or do differently to make your experience better. In reflecting on your time in the business core program, you might discuss where you started, where you are, and where you see yourself going. Note that this component is not about evaluating the capstone itself but rather your experience within the capstone project.

Some of the issues that you could address in this final component of this capstone include the following:

• Overall, what was your capstone experience like?

• Reflect on your experience performing the Capsim simulation.

• Reflect on the significance of the capstone in relation to your own experience at SNHU.

• What connections do you see between your capstone and your academic program?

• How will you apply what you have learned to your future academic and/or professional life?

• How did you demonstrate effective business communication in both this capstone course and throughout the business core program?

• How will you utilize these business communication skills in your future classes here at SNHU and in the working world after graduation?

• Reflect on your experiences with peer-to-peer and peer-to-leader collaboration in this capstone course.

• How has peer-to-peer and peer-to-leader collaboration influenced your performance and decision making in this class?

• Reflect on establishing and maintaining a professional business etiquette in both this capstone course and throughout the business program.

Final Project Rubric

This rubric will be applied to both components as a whole, and no component will be assessed on its own.

The “Possible Indicators of Success” are examples for you and the instructor of the types of concepts to look for to demonstrate proficiency. They are neither exhaustive nor proscriptive and should be used as guides for illustrating how your capstone embodies the outcome. All outcomes are weighted equally.

Guidelines for Submission: The submitted executive summary should be comprehensive and adhere to best practices for business writing. Be sure that your writing is concise and appropriate for your target audience. Any quoted, paraphrased, or borrowed information should be cited according to the guidelines in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Running head: FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 1

Final Project: Final Company Performance Summary

Name

Southern New Hampshire University

feljaouhari
Cross-Out
FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 2

Final Project: Final Company Performance Summary

Capstone Component 1: Executive Summary

I. Progress of the Company

Eight years ago, Andrews and five other companies entered into the sensor market at

equal footing. Since then it has been a continues battle between the six companies to see who

would rise to the top of the market. As of December 31, 2027, Andrews is leading in the market

share at 32.97%, while Digby is in second place with a 19.58% market share. See Figure 1 for

the market share of all companies. Andrews leading market share is due to the differentiator with

product lifecycle focus strategy and following the customer buying criteria. Andrews has

products in high-tech, low-tech, and the crossover segments of the market. This ensured that

Andrews would be able to supply a top-quality product in each segment to maximize profit. See

Figure 2 for Andrews and its competition product position map. Following the customer buying

criteria and calculating where it would be the following year, has resulted in products at the ideal

customer expectations. Andrews high-tech products Ape (Pfmn: 13.0, Size: 7.0, Age: 1.48,

MTBF: 22,500) and Ace (Pfmn: 12.8, Size: 7.2, Age: 1.68, MTBF: 22,500) are the top two sell

products in the high-tech segment as of December 31, 2027. This also applies to Andrews low-

tech product Able (Pfmn: 8.8, Size: 11.2, Age: 2.55, MTBF: 19,000), which is the number one

selling product in the low-tech segment as of December 31, 2027. Andrews crossover segment

product Apple (Pfmn: 10.3, Size: 9.8, Age: 2.74, MTBF: 19,000) is not the highest selling

product in either segment, but it sells well in both segments. All products have stayed relatively

in the same position within each circle market segment over the last four years. See Table 2.

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 3

Figure 1.

Note: Reprinted form FastTrack, pg. 1, by Capsim, retrieved from file:///C:/Users/mrand/Downloads/CourierF104480 011R8TAK0CA.PDF

Figure 2.

Note: Reprinted form FastTrack, pg. 8, by Capsim, retrieved from file:///C:/Users/mrand/Downloads/CourierF104480 011R8TAK0CA.PDF

As of December 31, 2027, Andrews stock price is at $101.04, which is well above Digby

and Baldwin at $49.65 and $41.44 respectively. These are Andrews two main competitors in the

market today. See Figure 3 for the eight-year history of closing stock prices in the market. As

shown in Figure 3, Andrews took a big hit in its stock price from 2022 to 2023. This was due to

poorly-aggressive forecasting and forgetting to pay back the loan the year before, which resulted

in 22 million dollar emergency loan. Since 2023, Andrews has paid off the emergency loan,

tighten its forecasting, paid dividends, retired stock, and retire bonds which have led the

company to its current stock price.

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 4

Figure 3.

Note: Reprinted form FastTrack, pg. 2, by Capsim, retrieved from file:///C:/Users/mrand/Downloads/CourierF104480011R8TAK0CA.PDF

Since Andrews open eight years ago, its capacity went from 800,000 with automation

level of 3 to a total capacity of 5,040,000 and a total automation level of 18. This is much higher

compared to Andrews competition in both sections, allowing Andrews to produce more products

and keep overtime at a minimum. See Figure 4 for Andrews and competitors’ production versus

capacity chart. Andrews has also been investing 5 million dollars each year towards total quality

management programs. It has yielded an 11.80% material cost reduction, 14% labor reduction,

40.01% reduction of R&D cycle time, 60.02% reduction of admin cost, and a 14.40% demand

increase. Lastly, Andrews has been investing in the marketing department to raise its customer

awareness and customer accessibility since the company first open. As of December 31, 2027, all

of Andrews products have a 100% customer awareness and customer accessibility. This has

greatly increased the sales of Andrews products across each segment. See Figure 5 and 6 for

accessibility percentages of all companies in the market.

Figure 4.

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 5

Figure 5:

Note: Reprinted form FastTrack, pg. 7, by Capsim, retrieved from file:///C:/Users/mrand/Downloads/CourierF104480 011R8TAK0CA.PDF

Figure 6:

Note: Reprinted form FastTrack, pg. 8, by Capsim, retrieved from file:///C:/Users/mrand/Downloads/CourierF104480 011R8TAK0CA.PDF

II. Current Situation

SWOT Analysis:

Strengths:

 Highest % of market share  Highest stock price within market  Large amount of capacity/automation  Top quality products in each segment  100% customer awareness for all

products  100% customer accessibility for all

products  High TQM effects

Weakness:  Lack of forecasting skills  Pervious emergency loans  Late on paying off debts  Lack of finance skills  Stocking out

Opportunities:  Increase forecasting skills  Increase finance skills  Have Apple switch from crossover

segment to low-tech segment  Introduce more products in each

market segment  Pay off debts and dividends  Increase stock price and market share

Threats:  Separation of high-tech and low-tech

circles  Forecast too high, leaving excess

amount of inventory  Competitors lowing price on products  Competitors making better customer

orientated products in the low-tech segment

III. Future of the Company

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 6

The top priority of Andrews in the future is to change its current strategy form

differentiator with product lifecycle focus to the broad differentiator strategy. Andrews will do

this because as the market continues to grow, so does the separation between the high-tech and

low-tech market segments. Andrews’ product Apple is currently positioned in the crossover

market segment, see Figure 2. This crossover segment is shirking each year as the high-tech

segment gets more advanced. If the market continues to grow at the same rate it has over the last

eight years, there will be no crossover section of the high and low-tech segments. This means

Andrews current strategy of having a product in each of the three segments will not work in the

future. Using the broad differentiator strategy allows for all of the currents products to keep its

current strategy except for the Apple product. Since Apple was just revised on April 6th, 2027, it

will stay in its current position for the next two or three years. Pfmn 10.3, Size 9.8. This will let

Apple drift into the low-tech segment only. Within two or three years, Able and Apple will be in

the low-tech segment only, while Ace and Ape will be in the high-tech segment only. Andrews

products positions will mirror the broad differentiator strategy, but with a bit of Andrews twist to

it. (Capsim, 2018) Andrews will still have its products positioned in a straight line like the

differentiator with product lifecycle focus strategy, but the products will be in the high and low-

tech segments only.

IV. Ethical, Legal, and Social Challenges.

Ethics is the most important issue at Andrews. Every person that works for Andrews is

upheld to the highest standards of ethics inside or outside of work. This applies to the very top to

the very lowest part of the company. Without a standard of ethics at Andrews, managers and

employees can abuse their power for personal gain. At time unethical behavior can be done for

the company and not just for personal gain. An example of this would be if a manager provides

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 7

the company with an idea that will increase profits, but it would greatly affect the environment

and/or the people negatively. There is the opportunity for unethical behavior throughout a

company, but there are tools to avoid these unethical behaviors. Managers go through programs

that promote a standard of ethical conduct and provides training on ethical behavior. Managers

can read at least one book on ethics per year to remind them to act ethically. Managers can lead

by example and integrate ethics into the firm’s culture. (Weinstein, 2017) Andrews also promotes

the whistleblower program. This program protects an ethical employee pointing out and stopping

unethical behaviors and practices within the company. The program also protects the employee

from being terminated for pointing out unethical behaviors and practices

Andrews puts the safety of its employees first over productivity. All employees at the

production plant wear OSHA rated safety equipment such as hard hats, gloves, eye protection,

and jumpsuits. Tight regulations and procedures ensure that all employees are safe, and they take

their breaks. A tired employee can cause an accident or injure themselves or others, so breaks

must be taken. Andrews has spent almost 6 million dollars into GEMI TQEM Sustainability

Initiatives and Quality Initiative Training in the last four year. This is done to improve the

environment, health, and safety of the employees in the workplace. (IISD, 2013) Andrews

protects its employees and makes sure that they get home to their families.

Andrews has spent almost three million dollars in the UNEP Green Programs in the last

four years. Andrews not only protects its works but the environment as well. The company is

focused on reducing waste, become more energy efficient, and helping the community. (Mingst,

2013) Like Starbuck, all of Andrews products are packaged from recyclable material that is

biodegradable as well. Andrews is constantly reducing its carbon footprint and help fund other

green initiatives.

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 8

V. Global Considerations

To move Andrews into the global market, there are many factors to be considered. First,

the company needs to find what country or countries that will have the demand for high and low-

tech sensors. This most likely will be first world countries that use technology on a daily basis.

Once the demand is found, Andrews would also have to identify and know its global

competitors. What are the specs of their product? How much are they selling it? Andrew has to

know everything about its competitors in the global market. If Andrews can compete with its

competitors, how does Andrews provide the product to its customers? Andrews can expand its

current production plant or create more in the United States to cover the increase of demand for

the products. This exporting path has a few issues such as shipping cost, delivery time, and

overhead cost in the United States. Andrews can choose to open new plants from existing plants

on foreign soil. This path has even more issues like supply chain procurement, foreign

government regulations, different culture, and finding local labor to name a few. This would

lower the price of the product to a foreign country and have faster delivery, but many things can

go wrong. Since Andrews is a new company, it should start out with exporting its product to the

global market before opening a production plant on foreign soil. None of this can happen until

Andrews can get the funds to attempt such an endeavor. As it stands today, Andrews is not in the

position to go into the global market. It does not have the funds, accurate forecasting, or proper

current strategy to enter into the global market. If Andrews continues to grow at the rate it is,

Andrew can enter the global market in five to ten years.

Capstone Component 2: Professional Reflection

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 9

The capstone project was a challenging experience but a good one as well. I have very

little experience working in an office setting, so learning about operations and project

management seemed a little foreign to me. I liked learning about operations and project

management through the courses at SNHU, but I was just learning the material and not applying

this knowledge to anything. The capstone project was the first time I really used the knowledge

that I accumulated at SNHU. It took a bit to get used to the Capsim simulation but once I did, I

was able to use the knowledge that SNHU taught me. I knew my strengths in operations and

project management going into the project, but the project showed me my weakness in

operations management such as finance. I passed all my finance classes, but I did not really see

how it would apply to me for my future profession. I do not want to be an accountant or financial

manager. I know what bonds, stock, dividends, loans, and leverage are but, I really did not know

how they truly work in a company. This project taught me how to understand and apply these

finances technique to my future profession as a CEO, operations manager or a project manager. I

now know the importance that they have in a company. I also realized reading over everything in

the FastTrack really helped my company flourish. It helped me predict what my competition was

going to do and how to stay ahead of them. This is not something you can learn from just reading

a book in class. The simulation taught me the true importance of documents such as the

FastTrack, balance statement, income statement, etc.

The Capsim simulation is a great tool to use all the information that I learned from SNHU

and apply it to the real/simulated world. The capstone course showed me how peer-to-peer or

per-to-leader is a great resource to use in my future profession. Throughout the course, the

student and I wrote about our Capsim simulation progress. This is where I could see what

worked well for my classmates and I would apply it to my own simulation. How my peers'

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 10

strategies were working, which is similar to my competition and come up with strategies to block

it. I also saw what did not work for my classmates and I would avoid making the same mistakes

in my simulation. Learning from others is a great tool to use and I will carry this knowledge and

practice to my future profession. This course also taught me how to maintain a professional

business etiquette. Like others in this course, the beginning of the Capsim simulation was quite

hard to get used to and very frustrating. I could see some of my classmates' frustration on their

discussion post which was understandable, but a professional should not show this. I posted all

my discussion in a cool and deliberate manner even though I struggle with the simulation from

time to time. This also applies to the rest of my discussion post throughout my stay at SNHU. I

realized in the business world there can be many things that can frustrate me, and this course has

shown me how not to let it show and deal with it. I just need to apply this knowledge and

patience to my future profession. (Sandler, 2017) All and all I believe that this capstone course is

a great way to apply the knowledge that I learn at SNHU in the real/simulated world. It also

helped me prepare for my future profession through this experience.

FINAL PROJECT: FINAL COMPANY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 11

Reference

Capsim. (2018). 12.6 Differentiator with Product Lifecycle Focus. Retrieved from

http://ww2.capsim.com/guides/foundation2013/the-guide/12-six-basic-

strategies034f.html

IISD. (2013, January 01). Total Quality Environmental Management (TQEM). Retrieved from

https://www.iisd.org/business/tools/systems_tqem.aspx

Mingst, K. (2013, October 11). United Nations Environment Programme. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations-Environment-Programme

Sandler, G. (2017, January 25). 10 Steps for Expanding Into Global Markets. Retrieved from

https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/10-steps-

expanding-global-markets/

Weinstein, B. (2017, October 31). What's The Difference Between Ethics And Business Ethics?

Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bruceweinstein/2017/10/31/whats-the-

difference-between-ethics-and-business-ethics/#4312fa005428