One of our founding members, Ripul Kumar, was involved extensively in developing a business simulation game as a student under the IIT Kanpur banner. This web based software is not only a game but also a research tool to study entrepreneurial decision making process under various environmental factors, in different countries and across various cultures.

This software is a collaborative effort of two big universities of the World, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur,India and Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, USA. This tool would also enable the researchers from Lally Management School, RPI and IIT Kanpur to study how cultural variables impact the decisions made by entrepreneurs. This is a very simple and innovative research tool which grabs its users into the game and competition. The game has all the features which in a real time environment are faced by entrepreneurs, such as production,efficiency,marketing,distribution & sales, advertising, finance, debt and investments. The game presents its users with a scenario of a paint industry which was previously owned by the government but is now broken down into various companies and one such company is awarded to a team of users. There is no clear cut defined strategy for the game as it runs as a real time simulation using various inputs from various companies. The only part controlled by the admin are the environmental variables, such as interest rate, investment opportunities, segment characteristics etc. The game’s engine has a very innovative model and uses vector mathematics to decide, demand patterns across the segments.
You can access the game at Sigsim.net which will redirect you to the Strategic innovation game homepage. To host the game in your college, you have to contact professor Deepu Philip of IIT,Kanpur or professor William Tracy of Lally Managment School, RPI. The game requires candidates to be present in multiples of 18 for research benefits. The game starts with candidates filling out a pre-survey form. Each user is then assigned team by the professors or the coordinator. After team assignment the candidates find their team mates, by logging in to the game and getting their partners from the settings page. It is advised that all the team members of the team should sit together for better decision making and to avoid confusions during the game. There are primarily 4 rounds in the game which can be increased/decreased based on coordinator/professor’s discretion.

An extensive game manual is first provided to the candidates which comprises of screenshot and detailed instructions on how to play the game. To know more about the game click here.

Members Involved:

Lally Management School, RPI                                                                                 Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

Lois S.Peters                [Assistant Professor, RPI]                                                  Deepu Philip [Assistant Professor, IITK]

William Tracy                 [Assistant Professor, RPI]                                                 Ripul Kumar [Student IITK]

Dimitri Markovitch          [Assistant Professor, RPI]                                                 Bishwajeet Mandal [Student IITK]

Organizing Contact:  B.V Phani  [Associate Professor, IITK]