Management training simulation method and system

• US 6,236,955 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tumbleweed Holdings LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gary J. Summers
• Inventors: Summers, Gary J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, KYLE JAEHUN
• Application Number:
  US09/364,489
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 703/6, 703/2, 705/7, 705/10, 434/107
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/18 Book-keeping or economics
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

A management training simulation system and method are disclosed. A method in accordance with one aspect of the invention is implemented on a computer and develops the decision-making skills of a user in a defined, simulated situation which includes one or more firms controlled by participants in the simulation which cause particular object designs to be injected into the simulation. Each object design is defined through an attribute-characteristic representation. A multipeaked value function is used to process the designs throughout the simulation instead of a distance-value function as in conventional simulations. The participant is selectively provided with information about at least some of the objects in the simulation, preferably at a cost, as well as a valuation of those objects and is also apprized of the current state of his or her firm. The participant digests this information and creates revised object designs which are sent to the simulation and processed using the multipeaked value function. Information concerning the objects in the simulation from all firms is updated in view of the newly submitted object designs, and these steps are repeated until the simulation ends. A network preferably interconnects plural simulation participants to a central computer which runs the simulation.

Claims

1. In a computer implemented system, a method for developing the decision-making skills of a user, comprising the steps of.

a) defining a simulated business situation including a competitive marketplace, a plurality of firms, and a set of products which are represented by an attribute-characteristic representation, each particular firm injecting one or more products each having a product design into the marketplace under control of a particular user in an attempt to derive revenues from said products;

b) selectively providing the user with marketplace information concerning at least a subset of said set of products and a marketplace performance data of at least said subset;

c) providing the user with information concerning a current state of the firm under that user'"'"'s control;

d) obtaining a revised product design from the user to send to the marketplace;

e) processing said revised product designs with a multipeaked value function;

f) revising the marketplace information in response to the processed product designs; and

g) repeating steps b) through c) whereby the user obtains the results of sending the revised product design to the marketplace.

2. The method as in claim 1, including the additional step of repeating steps b) through f).

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein steps b) through f) are repeated for a predetermined number of rounds.

4. The method as in claim 2, wherein steps b) through f) are repeated until preselected criteria are satisfied.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of selectively providing the user with marketplace information includes charging the user for accessing the marketplace information.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the marketplace information is accessed by inputting product characteristics and obtaining at least one marketplace performance data in response thereto.

7. The method as in claim 6, wherein the product characteristics include the characteristics for at least one particular product design.

8. The method as in claim 5, wherein marketplace information is accessed by inputting a marketplace performance data and obtaining product characteristics in response thereto.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the product characteristics include the characteristics for at least one particular product design.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the marketplace performance data of at least one subset includes at least one of the following:

the number of units that were sold in the marketplace, the market share, the market ranking, and price information.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of selectively providing the user with marketplace information includes providing the marketplace information that satisfies a search query entered by the user.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the multipeaked value function exhibits strong frustration between at least two attributes.

13. The method as in claim 1, including the additional step of changing a first set of valid product designs that can be injected into the marketplace to a second set of valid product designs.

14. The method as in claim 13, herein the changing step occurs after steps b) through f) have been repeated:

a. a predetermined number of times;

or

b. until preselected criteria are satisfied.

15. The method as in claim 13, herein the changing step includes the step of expanding the domain of one or more attributes in the attribute-characteristic representation that the user can vary in order to simulate a technological advance.

16. The method as in claim 13, wherein the changing step includes the step of expanding the number of attributes in the attribute-characteristic representation that the user can vary in order to simulate a technological advance.

17. The method as in claim 13, wherein the changing step includes the step of constraining the domain of one or more attributes in the attribute-characteristic representation that the user can vary in order to simulate government regulation or a shortage of raw materials.

18. The method as in claim 13, wherein the changing step includes the step of constraining the number of attributes in the attribute-characteristic representation that the user can vary in order to simulate government regulation or a shortage of raw materials.

19. The method as in claim 13, wherein the changing step is automatically initiated in response to a determination of the amount of innovation in the processed revised product designs.

20. The method as in claim 13, wherein each product design in first set of valid product designs has the same value in the second set of valid product designs.

21. The method as in claim 1, including the additional step of changing the multipeaked value function in response to a predetermined condition to simulate an exogeneous change in product valuation.

22. The method as in claim 1, including the additional step of changing a product design characteristic which is changeable only by the system in response to predetermined criteria thereby effecting a change in product valuation.

23. In a computer implemented simulation, a method for developing the decision-making skills of a user, comprising the steps of:

a) defining a simulated situation including at least one firm and a set of objects which are represented by an attribute-characteristic representation, each firm being under the control of a particular user and supplying to the simulation one or more objects each having an object design;

b) selectively providing the user with simulation information concerning at least a subset of said set of objects and a valuation of at least said subset;

c) providing the user with information concerning a current state of the firm under that user'"'"'s control;

d) obtaining a revised object design from the user to send to the simulation;

e) processing said revised object designs with a multipeaked value function;

f) revising the simulation information in response to the processed object designs; and

g) repeating steps b) through c) whereby the user obtains the results of sending the revised object design to the system.