Since 1991, participants in our Mastering General Management business simulation have been leading their companies to success. This classic simulation has undergone continuous development and adaptation over the years to reflect the current market situation. Today, Mastering General Management is our most popular management simulation. We took this opportunity to take a closer look at the product and its history.
The Development of Mastering General Management
Introduced in 1991, Mastering General Management (formerly TOPSIM – General Management) was the first computer-based business simulation learning program under the auspices of UNICON. The first Windows version of the simulation became available in 1996, followed by the online version two years later. The 12th version of Mastering General Management was released in 2007.
In 2016, the first TOPSIM-Cloud version of Mastering General Management was released, featuring many new additions, such as the Pro and Standard scenarios. Building on this foundation, the General Management architecture evolved into today’s Cloud framework, which now supports business games such as Startup Essentials, Management Essentials, and Scale Up.
The Three Mastering General Management Scenarios
Over the years, three Mastering General Management scenarios have been available: Standard, Pro, and TOPSIM – Production & Services. The Standard and Pro versions simulated a medium-sized company in the printer and copier industry. Similar to the current version, participants made strategic and operational decisions in various company areas, including purchasing, production, human resources, finance, marketing, and sales.
In the TOPSIM – Production & Services scenario, participants managed a company active in two business areas: elevator production and maintenance contract services. Through the simulation, participants learned how to handle conflicting goals and interactions between production and service while planning for the long term.
All three scenarios had one thing in common. At the beginning of each game period, participants were given detailed reports. They used this information to make business decisions. Participants were confronted with complex interdependencies within their own company, as well as with competing companies in the marketplace. To lead their companies to success, decision-makers had to understand internal relationships and interactions between various internal and external factors. In the process, they learned to handle large amounts of information in a structured way and make decisions amid uncertainty and time constraints. This principle has proven itself to this day.
We are looking forward to further exciting years with Mastering General Management and hope to be able to support numerous courses and trainings with management simulations in the future.
Would you like more information about Mastering General Management or about our business simulation portfolio? Contact us at info@topsim.com!
