Blog VBC Tutorial – FAQ

VBC Tutorial – FAQ

About platform Virtonomics Business Challenge

Information for Game Masters

For what tasks and for what audiences is the Virtonomics Business Challenge service intended?

Business games and management competitions for business schools, universities, and college students. VBC allows teachers or heads of educational institutions to conduct competitive online business games among their students to consolidate knowledge, gain basic practical business skills, motivate, and remove psychological barriers and fears of failure in entrepreneurial activity. Competing in a realistic business simulation allows students to fully experience the role of a business founder or leader. Teachers can either embed long-term VBC games into their courses or organize periodic short-term game-based championships for their students.

Company games for managers and employees. Playing a business simulation in the role of business executive will allow your managers and employees to comprehensively feel the essence of the work of a top manager, understand how different business functions and processes are structured, understand what their colleagues are doing, and learn to compete and cooperate. VBC games can be used for training and coaching employees, motivation and team building, assessment, talent identification, and career planning.

Regional and global competitions for aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses. Such events are often in demand by various municipal, regional, and state institutions and ministries, whose goal is the development of entrepreneurship, startup ecosystems, and small businesses. VBC allows you to conduct large-scale online events, competitions, and business games for these audiences with minimal organizational and financial costs. The Virtonomics business simulation brand, one of the most famous and respected professional business simulations on the global market, eliminates any questions of trust in the service provider.

What are a Game Master Account and a Participant Account, what are the differences?

A Game Master account is created by a user who plans to organize a business game or competition in a business simulation for other users – for Game Participants. For example, a professor wants to organize a management championship in a business simulation for his students. To do this, the professor needs to create a Game Master Account.

A Participant account is created by a user who wants to take part as a player in one of the business games that are held on the Virtonomics Business Challenge platform. For example, a student received an invitation from his teacher to participate in a faculty competition in management and a link to the landing page for this event. By registering on the event landing page as a participant in this competition, the student receives a Participant Account, from which he already gets into the Game.

How many participants can simultaneously participate in the competition and play in one business game?

Virtonomics is a multiplayer business simulation. Therefore, a single group game or gaming competition can have anywhere from 2 to 50,000 participants simultaneously.

What is the normal or recommended length of a competitive Game?

Virtonomics Business Challenge is a turn-based business game consisting of rounds. For group competitive games, two business simulation intensity modes are available:

In Intensive mode, each game round lasts 1 hour, and 5-8 hours is recommended for this game mode. The intensive game mode is more suitable for short one-day events, which require participants to be completely immersed in the Game for this time.

In Classic mode, each round lasts 1 day, and for playing in this relaxed mode, a total game duration of 10-30 rounds (days) is recommended, depending on the goals of your gaming event. The classic mode is optimal for thoughtful play parallel to the educational or work process of participants and for geographically dispersed groups. This game mode allows participants to enter the game at any time convenient for them, regardless of their time zone, but also synchronize their gameplay with the rest of the group.

Information for Participants

I received an invitation from my teacher/colleague. How do I register and get into the Game?

Follow the link sent to you to the event landing page. Enter the game access code sent to you in the registration form. After registration, you will be taken to your Participant Account, and in the “My Games” section you will see the card of the business game you were invited to and registered for.

Can I practice in the simulator before starting the main game?

Of course. If you registered as a Game participant a little bit in advance, you have time to get used to the simulator in the trial game mode. In the Participant’s cabinet, go to the page of the scheduled game and click the “Start Simulator” button. The business simulation will start in the trial mode, which will last for 3 rounds. This will be enough time for you to learn the most important aspects and interface of the business simulation, and to be more successful in the group competition.

Can I participate in more than one Game at the same time?

Yes. If you have registered in two Games, you will see in your Participant’s Profile two cards of the Game Competitions in which you are participating. You can log in to the business simulation of each game via the card corresponding to it. If you participate in several games in parallel, it is more convenient to do it from different browsers.

How do I get a certificate for completing a game in Virtonomics Business Challenge?

After completing the challenge, log in to your Participant’s Profile and click “Get Certificate” button on the card of the game you have completed.

How can I see the results of the competition and my place in the overall ranking?

During the game process, you can see your place in the team rating by clicking on the “Rating” item in the game menu. After the end of the game to view the final rating, go to your Participant’s Profile, find the card of the past game in the “Games Archive” section, and click on it. The page with the final results of the competition will open.

What browser should I use for the game?

We recommend using Chrome, IE, Edge, Safary. FireFox is not recommended.

I previously participated in the Virtonomics Business Challenge as a player. Now I want to organize the game myself for my friends/colleagues/clients. How can I do it?

To do this, you need to register a special Game Organiser account at https://virtonomics.com/en/business-challenge/ .

Virtonomics Business Challenge platform VS Virtonomics Tycoon game

How is VBC different from the Virtonomics Tycoon game? Why do I need the VBC platform to organize business games?

The main and most important difference is that the Virtonomics Tycoon game CANNOT be used for group and competitive games. The gameplay, interfaces, and monetization logic of Virtonomics Tycoon are designed for endless play by solo players in the “all against all” mode, in which the user can buy game advantages and boosters that improve his results relative to other players. Therefore, organizing a group and competitive game with transparent and relevant results in this game is impossible. However, the Virtonomics Business Challenge platform was created specifically for organizing and conducting group and competitive games with a learning effect. The VBC platform is as convenient as possible for Educators and Trainers, players are on equal terms, group play is transparent, and there is nothing superfluous in the gameplay and interfaces, which allows participants to focus on the main topic of the business simulation.

Features and functionality of Virtonomics Business Challenge for conducting group business games and competitions:

Convenient and simple Game Master interface for creating, setting up, and launching group and competitive games in a business simulation;

Select from a variety of ready-made business simulation scenarios created specifically for competitive group business games;

Interface and gameplay VBC focuses the attention of players precisely on the goals of the selected game scenario;

The Game Master can upload his teaching materials intended for the participants of his game event into the business simulation interface;

The Game Master can run several games and competitions simultaneously for different groups;

Game Master receives a convenient interface for inviting, registering, and monitoring the results of participants in business games;

For each business game or competition created by the Game Master, a special landing page is automatically created for inviting and registering participants;

Convenient and extremely simple interface for editing the landing page of your business game;

For each group of players in each business game, a rating table of players is formed that displays the online progress and results of the participants;

Based on the results of the game, the Game Master receives a detailed visual report with the game results of all participants;

All settings and materials from past games and competitions are saved in the Game Master’s archive, and you can very easily restart previous games on new dates;

All participants in the VBC are in equal conditions, and none of the players can obtain any unconventional advantages over other players, except in the ways provided for by the game scenario;

All Virtonomics Business Challenge players receive special certificates upon completion of the game;

About business simulations gameplay

General questions

Can I transfer money from one player to another player?

No, this is prohibited by gaming law.

How do I restart the game?

In Virtonomics Business Challenge you cannot restart yourself. To do this, you need to contact the Game Organizer (Game Master).

How can I start the next round of the game?

You cannot do it yourself. The next round will come after the update of the game situation on the server. During the update, the server calculates the results of all player transactions and all changes in the market situation. In the upper right corner of the screen, you can see a counter showing how much time is left until the end of the current round.

How long does recalculation last?

In the Intensive game mode (1 round = 1 hour), the duration of updating the game situation between rounds is 3-10 minutes. In the Classic game mode (1 round = 1 day), updating the game situation takes from 30 to 90 minutes.

How does the game calculate the cost of goods produced?

The cost of production is calculated as follows: (cost of raw materials + wages to workers + fuel and energy costs + waste and losses + general production costs + administrative costs) / the amount of products produced.

How to estimate transportation costs? Relatively speaking, there is a unit of goods worth X; how much will it cost to transport it from point A to point B, taking into account transport, customs, and other costs?

Use the report, which is located on the “Transport” tab of the Analytics -> Macroeconomic Indicators page.

How can I hire employees?

Open the required subdivision and click on the icon Employees. In the following window, set the required number of employees and determine their salary.

Is it possible to sell products to different companies at different prices?

There is a rule: one company – one shipping price. You can organize a discounted shipping option for a specific customer. This is done in the following way: in the enterprise set the sale mode as “for certain companies”, set a discount price, and indicate the buying company, which will receive production at a discounted price. After that, you can build a warehouse, and ship the leftovers. In the warehouse, you can sell your production at a “standard” price for all other buyers. You can also do the opposite: from the enterprise sell for everyone, and from the warehouse – for a specific company.

Does the supplier have the right to refuse delivery of goods without giving any reason?

Yes, the supplier has that right.

I ordered a product from a supplier. When will it arrive at my warehouse, factory, or store?

The next round, after the recalculation. Provided that you have enough money to pay for the delivery and if the supplier has enough production. Equipment is an exception. All types of equipment are bought instantly.

Does it make sense to order products from suppliers if they have’ 0 ‘in the “Free” column?

This action has no special meaning. Zero means that the supplier currently has no resources available for order execution. They may appear next round if someone cancels the order or the supplier expands production. It is also possible that you will receive a higher priority from the supplier – but this is unlikely.

Why when I look in “Reports / Retail in cities” ‘(country, city I indicate everything) – my company is not there?’

The point is that this report displays only 10 stores with the highest sales.

How can I see a product brand, cost, and quality on average in the city?

This information can be seen in the marketing report under Trade in cities.

The game displays the following message: “The office is not working, the efficiency of the new office employees requires additional evaluation.” What to do?

New office efficiency data will be updated only next turn, after recalculation. Then the real efficiency of the office will be shown. Until we have to wait.

Why are the products in stock not displayed in the list of suppliers in the ‘my’ tab when I set the option’ sell only to my company ‘? The product appears only after specifying the sales price from the warehouse. It seems to me that it is not entirely correct to sell goods to yourself.

Every subdivision and enterprise in Virtonomics is an independent economic unit. The supplier enterprise can sell the goods to the customer enterprise at a clearly defined price. If the price is not determined, the trade cannot take place.

Are employees working during training?

Yes, they do.

Why are warehouses needed? How are they beneficial?

Warehouses help to organize deliveries to a chain of stores or groups of similar enterprises. You can set up deliveries from the warehouse once, and then only change the volume of purchases – this saves time. Warehouses also allow you to create a buffer stock of raw materials and goods.

In addition, warehouses, are a mechanism that makes it possible to release the same products at different prices. For example, if you want to supply products from your factory to your stores a little higher than the cost price, “throwing out” the surplus on the market at a higher price, then this can be done only through warehouses.

What is an Independent Vendor? Why is he on the list of suppliers? What function does it have?

Without independent suppliers, initial development would be difficult. They now perform the function of regulating the market.

If I start to increase the size of the plant, does it stop working during the restructuring?

Doesn’t stop. The expansion proceeds in parallel with the operation of the plant.

If I cancel the construction of an enterprise, will I get the money spent on it?

Funds already spent on construction will not be returned.

Questions about Office and brand advertising

What is an office for?

The office is responsible for managing the company’s enterprises located in the region. Also, the office is engaged in advertising your products in the region.

I just started playing, set up an office, hired 4 people there, opened a shop with an area of 500 sq.m. and hired 30 salespeople. As a result, the efficiency is only 56%. How many employees should there be in the office and the store for the efficiency to be at least 80%?

For a shop with an area of 500 sq.m. for the first time, 10 sellers will be enough, which will ensure high work efficiency. Four managers in the office should also be enough. If there is only one store, then even two will be enough.

What is the best way to develop a brand for stores? Should each store do an advertising campaign or a general one for the office?

The Office promotes the product brand in the region. Stores cannot be advertised there. Advertising in the Store ensures increased popularity of the store and an increase in the number of visitors.

Can’t advertise a product, the page is empty. Why?

You can only advertise the product that you produce.

Does it make sense to develop the brand before the factory is finished?

Yes, it has. This will allow you to build brand awareness faster.

If I do not advertise for a long time, does brand awareness decrease?

Yes.

Questions about Factories and production

How to build a factory?

You can build a new plant from the List of Subdivisions by clicking the “Create Subdivision” button. In the window that appears, select the type of product to be manufactured, then sequentially select the country, region, and city of location, size, and specialization (within the type you selected) and confirm your decision by clicking the “Build a plant” button. When choosing a city, pay attention to the level of education and average wages of workers. When choosing the size of the plant, pay attention to the construction time and cost. The cost of building the plant will be paid from your company funds at the end of the construction period. If at the end of the construction period, your company does not have enough funds, the completion of the construction of the plant will be frozen until the required amount appears. During the construction period, the plant cannot be sold or any parameters of the enterprise can be changed.

How to increase the size of the plant?

You can expand the size of an already-built factory by building new production buildings. To increase the size of the plant, go to the plant and click the “Resize” button. The construction of new buildings in the plant takes several weeks. During the construction time of new buildings, you can cancel your decision to expand the plant.

How to hire (fire) workers?

To hire or fire workers in a factory, go to the enterprise page and click the “Workers and Salaries” button. Then, in the window that appears, enter the desired number of workers and confirm your decision by clicking the “Save” button. The number of workers employed in a plant cannot exceed the maximum possible number of workers for a given type and size of the plant.

How to set the amount of wages?

To change the wages of workers at the plant, go to the plant and click the “Employees and wages” button. Then, in the window that appears, enter the desired salary value and click the “Save” button. The average wage level for plant workers in the city is equal to 70% of the citywide wage level. Moreover, the qualifications of workers at this salary correspond to the education index of the city’s population. The change in wages takes effect from the current week. Raising wages improves the qualifications of workers.

How to purchase equipment?

The equipment for the factories is the “Machine tools” product produced at machine-building plants. To install new or additional equipment, on the factory page, click the “Equipment” button, and select the “Buy” action. Then, in the new window, select your machine supplier and click the “Next” button. In the window that appears, enter the purchased number of machines and click the “Buy” button. The optimum quality of equipment at the plant is equal to the required quality, taking into account the technological level of the enterprise. Equipment that is too high quality does not have a positive effect on the production process.

How to repair equipment?

To repair the equipment, on the factory page, click the “Equipment” button and select the “Repair” action. Then, in the window that appears, select the supplier of the machines and click the “Next” button. In the new window, enter the required number of purchased machines (equal to the number of worn-out machines) and click the “Buy” button. Equipment repair can be carried out only if the number of worn-out machines is more than one.

How to write off equipment?

With an increase in the technological level of the plant, it may become necessary to dramatically improve the quality of equipment. To do this, you can write off the old equipment (or part of it) and buy new equipment for the vacated space. To write off equipment, on the plant page, click the “Equipment” button and select the “Write off” action. Then, in the window that appears, enter the number of machines that you want to write off and click the “Write off” button. After that, it is necessary to purchase new machines for the plant. When a piece of equipment is decommissioned, the percentage of machine tool wear does not change as the wear is distributed evenly between all machines.

How to change the specialization of the plant?

At some types of factories, you can change their specialization (i.e. change the product of production or the type of product (for example, wine, vodka, and whiskey – types of product are alcoholic beverages)). To change the specialization of an enterprise, go to the plant and open the “Specialization” tab, in the window that appears, select the product/type of product that you want to produce and click the “Save” button. The specialization of the plant changes immediately. Remember that other raw materials may need to be purchased from the plant to make a new product.

How to buy raw materials?

To add a supplier of raw materials for a plant, go to the plant and open the “Supply” tab. Then click the “Select supplier” button (green icon). After that, in the window that appears, select a supplier and click the “Next” button. In the new window, enter the purchase quantity from this supplier and select a price limit, then click the “Save” button.

How to improve the efficiency of the plant?

Efficiency is one of the main indicators of the plant’s work, affecting the productivity of workers and equipment, the quantity and quality of products, and hence the financial results! Low efficiency of a plant is usually caused by insufficient quality of equipment with high technology, low qualification of workers with high quality of equipment, or insufficient qualifications of a plant manager with high qualifications of workers. In addition, the efficiency of the company’s management office also affects the efficiency of the plant. Read the detailed help on performance management.

How to close the plant?

To close the plant, go to the plant management and click on the “Close plant” link. Then, in the window that appears, click on the “Close enterprise” button. The cost of liquidating a plant is 10% of the cost of its production buildings.

Why am I not purchasing raw materials from an independent supplier even though the order has been placed?

Your company did not have enough funds for complete purchases for all enterprises. To guarantee the stable operation of the company, it is necessary to have at the beginning of the recalculation an amount equal to or exceeding the total costs of the company (including costs of intra-company movements of goods).

Questions about Store and retail trade

I created a store, selected suppliers, and sent a request to each of them to purchase products. When will the goods arrive at my store’s warehouse?

Goods will arrive in the next round, after recalculating the game situation.

Today I opened shops and bought food, but there are no workers. When will they appear?

Workers will not appear on their own, they must be hired. To do this, open your store and click on the “Employees and Salary” link. In the window that opens, select the number of employees you need and set the salary for them.

Just opened my first store. How much goods is approximately required for one day during the first opening hours of the store?

It’s better to order a little. If the product is sold, then the next day you can order more of it. The volume of sales depends on the city, region, store size, number of departments, product, its quality, price, the market situation, on the popularity of the store … Therefore, from the very beginning of creating a store, it is better to order goods in small batches (for example, in the amount of 20-30 % of the sales volume of this product from not the top stores according to the sales report for your area of the city), gradually increasing them. Naturally, provided that your sales in the store increase.

What determines the number of sales in the store?

The number of sales depends on the number of store visitors, prices, product quality and brand, and store performance.

Is it possible to buy goods of different qualities for sale separately to poor and rich buyers?

In the warehouse of the store, the purchased goods are mixed and the product is obtained with weighted average quality, brand, and price. An exception is made for goods released under a brand name or a franchise agreement. For example, if you have selected several suppliers of milk, and ordered regular “Milk” (icon – milk in a bottle) produced under the trademark “Pasteurized milk” (icon – milk in a carton bag), then such goods are not mixed in the store’s warehouse.

If I sell compatible products (for example, bread and milk) or incompatible (bread and cars) in the same store, does something change?

All other things being equal, specialized (single-department) stores perform better. But, in principle, good performance can be found in a store with many departments and many products sold. Much also depends on the size of the retail space.

How to find out what is the maximum volume of products that city dwellers can buy from me?

The market volume can be found by clicking “Marketing report” -> “Trade in cities”.

When do you need to increase (decrease) the area of the store?

An increased in-store area increases traffic and improves the level of service. But the more visitors, the more sellers you need. The level of service depends on the number of sellers, their qualifications, and the area of the store. It also depends on the number of departments in the store: the fewer of them, the larger the area of the department – accordingly, the higher the level of service.

Can I simply move the product from my factory to my store without having to purchase it?

No. Each enterprise included in your company is an independent profit center and financial accounting center. Therefore, the procedure for moving material assets and goods from one enterprise to another must go through the execution of a purchase and sale transaction. But you have the right to set selling prices at your factory that are close to the cost of production.

I hired sellers and bought a product, but still, nothing was for sale. Why?

A very common mistake of a beginner is that a product of such quality, brand, or value is purchased at the store that it is not possible to sell it (and even more so to sell it at a profit). We advise you to pay attention to the average figures for the city when choosing suppliers of goods. It is also possible that you have chosen a very small market and/or the competition is too high (for example, the sedan market in small European cities)

What do the letters AAA, A, and C mean in city trade reports?

This is a scale showing the degree of market saturation in a city: AAA – the market is oversaturated, the volume of supply exceeds the volume of demand by more than three times AA – the market is oversaturated, the volume of supply exceeds the volume of demand by more than two times A – the market is oversaturated B – the market is saturated C – the market is in the initial stage of saturation D – the market is unsaturated E – the market is unsaturated, the share of local producers is over 50%.

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