Business Simulation Project: Mikesbikes Performance Analysis Report

This project report details a student's experience with the Mikesbikes business simulation, a virtual business environment used to apply business theories and make strategic decisions. The student engaged in a single-player version of the simulation, making decisions related to marketing, distribution, capacity, and pricing over multiple simulated years. The report outlines the student's initial strategies, including advertising and pricing adjustments, and analyzes the resulting performance metrics, such as SHV (Shareholder Value). The student adjusted strategies based on market research and performance feedback, including changes to branding, production capacity, and distribution channels. The project highlights key learnings from the simulation, such as the importance of market research, effective distribution strategies, and capacity management. The student reflects on how the single-player experience prepared them for multi-player scenarios and the importance of balancing various business factors to maximize shareholder value.

Running head: BUSINESS PROJECT
Business Project
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1
BUSINESS PROJECT
Introduction
The application of business simulation plays a vital role in understanding the real-
world business scenario after studying the various theories along with accounting related
calculations. It helps in applying the various strategies along with making decisions in the
real-world situation. Mikesbikes is the virtual world business, and the respective simulation
contains multiple segments such as allocation related advertisement, distribution, capacity,
debt as well as equity control.
Mikesbikes has major two versions of business simulation which are: Multiplay and
Single play. The Smartsims have introduced the single play of Mikesbikes is helpful for the
simulation of business which assisted in getting used with the Mikesbikes intro multiplay.
The single player of Mikesbikes helps in providing similar kind of environment like
multiplayer wherein the individuals can play the game with the computer as the competitor,
and there can be the proper experience which is essential for making Mikesbikes Intro
Multiplay.
My Experience
Firstly, I have introduced adequately with the entire course outline along with the
basics to understand the requirement which is required to be covered by me in the first four
weeks. Rex Walsh was our mentor who directed us through proper software related to
simulation. In the very beginning, we were provided with the generic password along with
username for the account of the single player itself. Moreover, I started to work with
Mikesbikes simulation on the same day as well as was ready to launch the business.
In the respective scenario firstly, we required to transform the organization’s name to
the other selective name. In the particular aspect, the name which was provided by me to the

2
BUSINESS PROJECT
organization was Bikes for the simulation of a single player. Moreover, I tried to go through
the different reports of the other years as to analyse the overall impression of the respective
market and tried learning the steps which are required for acquiring the business effectively.
1st play at Home on 30th March 2018
It was the preceding year wherein the main focus was to function the organization
with the mountain bike. However, we tried to enter various amounts that were much higher in
comparison to the default price which is inclusive of $700 with small changes in the budget
of advertisements and PR. However, the result of the first rollover was not at all impressive in
the operations as SHV fell from $11 to $. I mainly focused on various aspects of advertising
for the first year and tried to make decisions which I learnt formerly and analyzed that SHV
had risen to $. The coming year of the particular game was dynamic for distribution as well
as branding and in such scenario, I tried to upsurge capacity as well as decrease price from
$710 to $705 which helped in pushing sales. The particular results as the SHV of Bikes were
not impressive, and it was less in comparison to the competitors. However, unfortunately, I
was not able to keep various reports for journal during first-year tutorial class.
Also, during the second week, I started the work with the better understanding of
various general idea on simulation, and it helped me in making decisions in a better manner
and the following records have been analyzed during play. Lastly, for the first and foremost
year, the conventional type of unit price was set at $700 with the forecast of more than 18000
units for sale as well as 16500 units which were accessible for sale. Moreover, I then decided
to upsurge the overall price with the proper plan that helped in increasing advertisements and
PR and in such a scenario, I tried to increase capacity and roll over.

3
BUSINESS PROJECT
2nd play at KOI Library on 1st April 2018
After the overall research on the market, I tried to realize that because of the low
production along with high awareness, there was the loss in sales; hence I decided to increase
the overall output along with sales forecasting.
Moreover, I decided to raise the budget of brand awareness from 2500000 to 700000
along with I decided to launch support of mountain bikes in three channels wherein I focused
mainly on sports stores through providing sixty stores and providing them with 25% overall
margin sales, and the following results are as follows:
From the above, it can be identified that promising results when I relate them along
with overall the time spent by me on the respective simulation. Besides, I understood the
overall increase the awareness along with paid public relations as well. There was no such
loss in sales, and the increase in the market share was the right aspect and direction which
was followed. However, there was the lag in distribution as I could not reach various
distributors for product and the level of capacity was beneath the control as not much was left
in the closing stock, and it reduced the expenditure of storing as well as possession bikes in
the warehouse.
3rd play at home on 2nd April 2018
The decision related planning for the 2020 year was in accordance to the different
kinds of instructions which are provided under the report, and I tried to be sure that I stick as
per the principles which have been underlined in the report. I had increased the retail price to
a little extent wherein more spending was done on the campaign related to PR and
advertisements. The overall budget for branding was adequate, and I did not touch numbers;
however I saw that there is drop in in the level of quality which was forecasted wherein same
figures were kept for next year as well.

4
BUSINESS PROJECT
Besides, I raised the budget to 80% for the quality sector and increased the level of
production which helped in keeping sales as well as the market share at the rising level which
is shown in the different reports in the previous years. I tried to showcase more support to the
store of sports as well as discount and bike shops; however the primary focus was on the
store of the bike due to the category of bikes. There was an increase in commission for the
bike stores as I analyzed that it will be helpful for the stores to push up the sales in a positive
manner. The following results are recorded after the entire rollover as well.
4th play at KOI on 5th April 2018
The respective new product was introduced in the single player for the 4th year of the
business, and there were different clear instructions which were provided ahead of the
summary, and it was one of the most information as well as reasonable which helps in
making the different adequate decisions as well as strategies. There is the inclusion of four
major suggestions which are related to the launch of new products along with the cost of
proper maintenance of current products with the new kinds of specifications as well as
reductions in the cost of the existing product.
Moreover, I have made the entire decision of launching the new product youth bike at
my level of income. During the launch of the new product, I decided to increase the overall
provision of the different discount shops in the respective channel of distribution. I tried to set
advertisements along with public relation as per the level which is required as mentioned in
the research report. It has been identified that most of the customers can reach through the
television and I tried to spend equally in public relation as well as advertisement related
campaign for the youth bikes.

5
BUSINESS PROJECT
5th play at home on 6th April 2018
The overall outcome for the year 2021 was encouraging in nature as SHV has risen in
one single year and it was possible because of the spot on the strategy related to distribution.
Moreover, I realized that I had lost the sale of youth bikes because of the low production of
the same. Therefore, it can be identified that the focus of the next year will be on the adequate
level of production and maintaining the needs of customers.
Moreover, from the next years planning, I tried and decided that I will be making the
decisions which are vague on buying back shares along with dividend distribution as well.
Furthermore, I planned to launch the road bike with a price of $2100 with the capacity related
to the production of 50000 aligned with other capacity related production of 25000 youth
along with 25000 mountain bikes.
The pricing for mountain bike has been increased along with the youth bike. Lastly,
the decision to buy a $1 dividend was made with the purchase of more than $200,000 buy
back shares. These are the different decisions which are favourable in comparison to the other
competitors present in the market.
Important Points Learnt After Playing the Game
After spending the time in managing the vague decisions that were required to
discover the different options which were provided in Smartsims. Besides, I tried to learn the
various points are helpful for the multiplayer group related activity appropriately. The
different points are discussed as follows:
 Building robust consciousness for the mountain bike through spending money more
on the advertisements. Through the same, it helped in understanding the

6
BUSINESS PROJECT
appropriateness of media channel in targeting the products which will help attain top
results
 The proper establishment of plan regarding distribution which is powerful that helps
in covering a targeted market which is aligned with diverse research reports for the
respective year
 Proper maintenance of the capacity of production which will be beneficial in
supplying the acceptable number of bikes and correct equilibrium of the capacity of
production is crucial as it will help focus on the low idle time
 Proper maintenance of the level of efficacy to the respective point wherein there is a
suggestion of market research. The production level efficacy will be essential in
reducing the operating-related expenditure along with other expenses that can
castigate the factory
 Once the market share has raised to above 50%, in such scenario, we can increase the
overall pricing as the individuals have recognized us, but there is different powerful
distribution as well as branding is required to catch the maximum sales.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above, it can be concluded that I enjoyed playing the respective
game and I learnt the different things from the Single Play as well as received lots of
importance. Moreover, I learnt to figure out a few essential strategies which are assisting in
making customer and shareholders happier simultaneously. Lastly, I analyzed that single play
helped me in the multiplay to create the different crucial decisions in the critical years.