By Imane Ghorbani
MSc in Marketing Management: 2007-08

Last week we participated in a two-day business game using an interactive simulation system - for the Hi-Tech Marketing course. The main objective of this session was to understand what the marketing of high technology implies and to acquire and update knowledge and practical know-how in that specific field.

The game was composed of 5 teams of 8 students which represented the 5 main competitors in a virtual market. The business game was based on a new product launch - a revolutionary robot called ROBOMAX. Our mission was to develop the best strategy over a 10 years forecast combining marketing, production, human resources and financial aspects of our company.

Beforehand, our professor gave us a guide with the scenario - including the context and expected objectives. This guide also included strategic advice in decision making such as  tips on production decisions, marketing decisions, human resources policy through to the financing options needed during the game.

We decided to design a team leader for our team and divide ourselves into smaller teams. Two of us would be in charge of Finance, three others in Marketing and the three last in Production and Human resources.

The simulation was done on computer and every hour represented a virtual business year. Depending on the results achieved at the end of each period we had to adapt our strategy by increasing budgets or cost cutting, modifying campaigns and policies and generally making the sort of strategic decisions any manager would have to make in a real company. Based on the new information given to us at the beginning of each new period, we handed in our new plans to be evaluated by the simulator which would then produce an outcome of our company as if it were a real life situation.

Besides the large dose of fun we had over the two days, the game by itself taught us the nuances of decision making in the corporate world, where the fast pace and stress of the real business world was felt in the comfort of our classroom! Teamwork and long term planning were the key drivers of success for all teams.

I actually chose EDHEC because the programme seemed closely related with my vision of today's business world, which involves the international aspect of trade and it was a course which offered a wide range of marketing tools. I felt the the programme would enable me to combine my previous experience acquired during my studies and further my knowledge in the field of marketing.

Today I can say that the programme is very hands on and combines theories and real practises throughout the year. Teamwork is clearly the most important focus offered through EDHEC classes, with lots of the work involving group presentations or group projects.

I am also looking forward to another very practical course : Market Planning,  where we will be set a group mission to help with the launch a new product - but this time it'll be a real product in a real world so we can't afford any mistakes!