Business wargames and simulations permit companies to "run the movie to the end" to test, validate and enhance their key business strategies.
Simulstrat wargames and simulations for business and government are dynamic, decision-making strategic tools based on a war-gaming methodology that simulates future political, economic, social, environmental and technological factors that will impact a business and its operating environment.
Simulstrat business wargames are based on the premise that political, social and other external factors will determine future success as much as market and technological variables.
Business wargames and simulations do not predict the future; but rather test business operating assumptions against a series of possible futures. Simulations construct several possible movies, run them all to the end, and the methodologies allow specialist appraisal of how decision-making fared in the response to such plausible futures.
These business wargames test the robustness of operating assumptions by forcing the organisation to apply them, through gaming, to both normal and abnormal circumstances - testing procedures and assumptions to destruction in a context that is fully monitored, "safe", and can be replicated at will. Among many other things, these simulations can test:
- An organisation's ability to identify and exploit new business opportunities.
- The robustness of existing and alternative strategies and assumptions - both internal (product development) and external (competitive, regulatory).
The capacity to respond and exploit changing market conditions weeks, months, and years into the future.
Continuity in the face of unexpected events (e.g. natural disasters, competitive or regulatory changes, internal or external crises).
This application of wargaming - as a business tool - involves business people role-playing strategic or operational decision-making, where consequences, change, and reactions are factored into the model as they game it out; creating a dynamic decision environment.