Business Dynamics Modelling
What is Business Dynamics Modelling? | PC Fliers Mini-Sim | MAC Fliers Mini Sim
What is Business Dynamics Modelling?
Downloadable Mini-Simulator: Experiencing Visual Modelling and Simulation
It is difficult to imagine a playful representation of business if you have never before seen or used a simulator created with contemporary graphical modelling methods. To fire your imagination download the 'fliers mini-simulator', a small-scale model and simulator of a practical business situation with which many European readers will be familiar - the case of easyJet airlines. Once you've played with the mini-sim then carry-on reading below to find out more about 'what is modelling'. See also 'Visualising and Rehearsing Strategy' in the Business Strategy Review, Volume 10, Issue 3, Autumn 1999.
Visualising and Rehearsing Strategy, Constructing New Theory
Modelling and simulation will soon be used routinely by management teams and by academics to help them visualise and rehearse strategy and construct new theory. This use of modelling is quite different from the commonly-held view of models for forecasting, prediction or optimising, built by specialists to provide 'answers' for policy makers.
The Process of Model Building
As you can tell from the fliers mini-simulator, business modelling is action oriented and invites participation. It is not a spectator sport. It is the process of building and using models that adds value and creates shared understanding. The first phase is gaining familiarity with the business, its history and its strategic direction. Interviews with key stakeholders are helpful for sampling opinion and building a sympathetic understanding of stakeholders' views and positions. Team meetings are a way to gain agreement on the most important issues facing the business and to begin probing the scenarios that are foremost in people's minds. Such meetings are similar to normal business meetings. But they also yield information for model building including time charts and cause-effect diagrams.
Flipcharts and whiteboards are the typical repository for facts, judgmental data and diagrams gleaned from meetings. A series of three or four half-day meetings may be all that's necessary to gather the basic information for a map of the business. Model conceptualisation sessions should be rewarding for participants, a good use of time, because they draw together a cross-functional group of managers to talk about the business and where it is going. Armed with flipchart facts, notes, and memories of conversations the modeller (or model-building team) creates the map and then the algebraic model that leads to a business simulator. The process is iterative.
The Value of Friendly Algebra
As the algebraic model takes shape there are opportunities to call on the judgmental knowledge of team members to review equation formulations or to pin-down numerical values and the strength of relationships that (together with the pattern of connections in the map) define the operating structure of the business network. The algebra of contemporary business simulators is 'friendly algebra': equations whose variables are plain English words or phrases and which have exact visual counterparts in the agreed map. Moreover, the process of reviewing equation formulations brings clarity to the implicit assumptions and specialised jargon that fuel informed dialogue in management teams. Well-written, friendly algebra is a series of concise and readable statements about key causal relationships in the business.
PC Fliers Mini-Sim
There are two options for downloading the Fliers mini-simulator that runs on MS Windows 95/98/NT: either downloading one file (2.7Mb) or two smaller files (1.3Mb each).
Downloading one file PC Fliers (2.7Mb)
1. Download and save the file FliersModel.exe into a temporary folder.
2. Double-click on the FliersModel.exe program to start the Installer. The model unpacks itself. Follow the Setup instructions as they appear on the screen.
3. Once the software is installed, select Start - Programs - The Fliers Model - View the Fliers Model, or double-click View the Fliers Model icon on the desktop.
4. Once the installation is completed you can remove the temporary file, FliersModel.exe.
5. You can remove the Fliers Model software at any time by selecting Start - Programs - The Fliers Model - Uninstall The Fliers Model.
6. Note the Fliers Model uses ithink® Commercial Run-Time Version 5.1.1. It is important to open the Fliers Model as illustrated in Step 3 to prevent older installed versions of the ithink® software launching the Fliers Model.
Downloading two files
PC Part 1 (1.3Mb)
PC Part 2 (1.3Mb)
1. Make a temporary folder, e.g. Fliers Downloads.
2. Download PC Part1 into Fliers Downloads, saving the file pc_disk1.zip.
3. Download PC Part2 into Fliers Downloads, saving the file pc_disk2.zip.
4. Open the file pc_disk1.zip with either the WinZip application or the PKZip application.
5. Extract the entire contents of pc_disk1.zip into the Fliers Download folder.
6. Close the WinZip application or the PKZip application.
7. Open the file pc_disk2.zip with either the WinZip application or the PKZip application.
8. Extract the contents of pc_disk2.zip into the Fliers Download folder.
9. Close the WinZip application or the PKZip application.
10. Double-click on the icon 'Setup.exe'. The model unpacks itself. Follow the Setup instructions as they appear on the screen.
11. Once the software is installed, select Start - Programs - The Fliers Model - View the Fliers Model, or double-click
View the Fliers Model icon on the desktop.
12. Once the installation is completed you can remove the temporary folder, Fliers Download.
13. You can remove the Fliers Model software at any time by selecting Start - Programs - The Fliers Model - Uninstall The Fliers Model.
14. Note the Fliers Model uses ithink® Commercial Run-Time Version 5.1.1. It is important to open the Fliers Model as illustrated in Step 11 to prevent older installed versions of the ithink® software launching the Fliers Model.
MAC Fliers Mini Sim
There are two options for downloading the Fliers mini-simulator that runs on the Macintosh using System 7 or System 8: either downloading one file (1.6Mb) or two smaller files (1.1Mb and 0.5Mb).
Downloading one file
Mac Fliers (1.6MB)
Download the TheFliersModelInstaller.hqx file.
2. The current versions of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer will automatically unpack the Fliers mini-sim installer for you. To install the Fliers mini-sim double-click the Fliers Model Installer icon on your desktop.
3. If your web browser does not automatically unpack the TheFliersModelInstaller.hqx file then you will need to manually unpack the file using Stuffit Expander. Simply drag and drop the file onto the Stuffit Expander icon. If you do not already have Stuffit Expander then it can be downloaded from http://www.aladdinsys.com/. Once you have unpacked the installer, double-click the Fliers Model Installer icon to install the Fliers min-sim.
Downloading two files
Mac Part 1 (1.1Mb)
Mac Part 2 (0.5Mb)
Download the mac disk1.hqx and mac disk2.hqx files.
2. The current versions of Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer will automatically unpack the Fliers mini-sim installer disk images for you. To install the Fliers mini-sim double-click the Fliers Model Installer icon on your desktop.
3. If your web browser does not automatically unpack the mac disk1.hqx and mac disk2.hqx files then you will need to manually unpack the files using Stuffit Expander. Simply drag and drop the files onto the Stuffit Expander icon. If you do not already have Stuffit Expander then it can be downloaded from http://www.aladdinsys.com/. Once you have unpacked the installer files, double-click the Fliers Model Installer icon to install the Fliers mini-sim.
