Simulation Analysis Report:
Your SAR’s assessment will be based on three components, weighted as follows:
I. Completeness 75% of total grade
a. Your report should use a fact based approach to:
i. Explain the profitability of your company relative to: the company’s strategy,
how effective the strategy was in achieving the company’s strategic and operational goals, and
how the company’s strategy will change in the future to improve operations.
ii. Discuss:
The competitive factors that influenced the timing and outcome of the company’s strategic and operational decisions (e.g., competitors dominated a segment, competitors had limited production capacity, etc.), and the financial factors that influenced the timing and outcome of the company’s strategic and operational decisions (e.g., limited operating cash flows, high margin products, etc .).
II. Use of Research 15% of total grade
a. Your report should:
i. Utilize course concepts (e.g., from lecture) in the discussion of your company’s strategy, its effectiveness, and your planned improvements to your company’s strategy and operations.
ii. Support quantitative or fact based statements in the paper with evidence from the Courier and other Capsim reports.
iii. Provide evidence in the appendix of the paper (e.g., charts, graphs, data analysis that you have created) for relevant quantitative or fact based statements made in the paper, and make sure that every item in the appendix relates to a statement or argument made in the paper. Please note that you should only present graphs and charts in your appendix that support and extend the arguments you make in your paper (i.e., Do not simply cut and paste the charts and graphs from the Courier, unless this representation of the data best supports your argument).
III. Structure 10% of total grade
a. Your report should:
i. Recognize the company’s Board of Directors as the audience for the report.
ii. Not use a year by year structure for organizing the report.
iii. Be well organized and concise.
iv. Be professionally written (correct use of terminology, no slang).
v. Have a cover sheet with your name, your PSU email (i.e., ANGEL ID), and your section number included.
vi. Use a 12 point font, double spacing, and one inch margins.
vii. Adhere to 3 page limit (not including the appendix).
viii. Adhere to the file naming protocol. You should save your simulation analysis report using the following filename format (assuming you were team Andrews in Industry 39177) Ind_39177_Andrews_SAR.doc so that your industry, your company name, and the title of your report are easily identified with your submitted file.
ix. Cite all works referenced, including the Capsim manual and related documents. Failure to cite works referenced will result in a 10% penalty on the paper grade.
x. Be submitted to turnitin.psu.edu/. NOTE: If your originality score is unacceptable (i.e., greater than 5% similar content), it may take up to 24 hours before you can resubmit your corrected report. Please allow for this delay when planning for your report deadline.