BGF Business Game 2008 - Autumn semifinalists

On the picture from left to right Laurent Müller, Vesa Vilkas, Jani Virtanen, Erik Tigerstedt from GE Healthcare Finland.

September, October and November business games are finished and we are proud to announce the new semifinalists that have qualified their way to the BGF Global Semifinals 2008, taking place in September. Congratulations to the semifinalists and also to all the teams who were participating in the BGF Business Tournament.

- LLC Stora Enso Packaging (Russia)
- GE Healthcare (Finland)
- NOKIA CMO (Russia)
- Metsäliitto Osuuskunta, Puutuoteteollisuus (Finland)
- Perstorp AB (Sweden)
- Kaupthing (Finland)
- SEB (Finland)
- Skanska Project Support (Sweden)
- Svenska Handelsbanken Centrala Ekonomiavdelning (Sweden)
- Schenker Sp. z o.o. (Poland)
- Forsmark Kraftgrupp Ab (Sweden)
- SMP CZ (Czech Republic)
- KPMG (Sweden)
- Accenture (Spain)

BGF is the world leader in web based business tournaments and organizes the biggest and most exciting business tournament in the world where leading international companies are fiercely competing for market shares and profits while developing managers and key people to lead their business in a profitable and more effective way. Just like pilots in flight simulators, only in business. Why should pilots have all the fun!

Kaupthing Champion in Business Management!

(From left to right, a very satisfied managing director of Kaupthing Sweden, Mr. Robert Charpentier and the winning KBS team: Stefan Westergren, Christoffer Wildeke and Catrin Jansson)

In November 2007, Kaupthing Bank sealed its very first BGF In-House business game tournament. Teams from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden competed about the glamorous victory of being the first Kaupthing team to ever win a BGF Game, and it was team KBS from Sweden who ultimately created most value with its virtual company.


The tournament was very exciting, and for long – team FIH from Denmark seemed to outperform its peers by e.g. having great utilization rates. However, the overall strategy proved wrong, and instead, in the very last round, team KBS managed to snatch the first place just before the runner-up team Finland.


Lots of "aha:s", and lots of fun, characterized KBS's evening work throughout the virtual fiscal years. And even though the competitors seemed to outperform the KBS company, the winning team was convinced that the tactics chosen were the right ones in the long run. Having advanced to the Semi-finals, the team, consisting of employees from the bank's research department, credit department and banking department, is proud of the members' stubbornness and confidence. Team leader Christoffer Wildeke says: "We did our homework well and were well prepared for possible market changes already after the first round. Additional understandings about the value drivers as the tournament proceeded made us just more confident about our initially chosen strategy. But it was meanwhile very exciting - and educational - from day one to the final closing of the books"

Petteri Salokangas

Business Game Factory Ltd.

petteri.salokangas(#)bgfactory.com

BGF Business Tournament - Stora Enso Division

After finishing first in the September 2007 Stora Enso Division, “BBTeam” from Stora Enso Packaging Russia are now through to the BGF semifinals for next year, after tough competition from their colleagues. The “BBTeam” lead by Tamara Tsurukina just made the first place before runners up “Arteam”, also from Stora Enso Packaging Russia. Team “Picea” from Stora Enso Finland finished at 3d place, Stora Enso Packaging “Oguretz” team ended up 4th, Stora Enso “Forest” team grabbed the 5th place and Stora Enso “Telegen” team came at 6th place.

The semifinal is run in September 2008 where the “BBTeam” will face the division winners from all around the world to compete for a place in the finals. The top 3 teams in the final will be invited to BGF Awards in Cannes, at the French Riviera for the prize ceremony.

Team leader Tamara Tsurukina had this to say about their tournament experience:“We were happy that we had an opportunity to take part in this game. It was very interesting to imagine ourselves as top managers of the big international company and to understand which responsibility stands in front of them and which decisions they shall make. It was beautiful training for the company management skills development and for the understanding of the real economic processes which the model of the game simulates very realistic. Furthermore we were catch by the competitive spirit and gambling that keep in exertion from the beginning to the end of the game. It was difficult to suppose that columns of boring figures can arouse so many emotions! And of course, after the victory on this game our pleasure was increased in many times. Thanks a lot to the coaches and to our rivals.”

About the Championship in Business Management

The task is to gather a team of 3-5 players, the team will then have the opportunity to run a simulated multinational company in competition with other teams for market shares, profits and revenue. Besides the fun and motivational competition, the purpose of the tournament is for individuals to further develop their skills in business strategies, management board dynamics, financial analysis and team work.


Patrik Thorman,

Business Game Factory Ltd.
mobile +46 70 783 73 89
phone +46 (0)8 20 39 35
patrik.thorman@bgfactory.com

SEB Finland, 2007 winner of SEB Championships!

After defeating the other participating SEB teams, Team HKI of SEB Finland won the annual 2007 SEB Championships in Business Management, hosted by Business Game Factory. In second place was SEB Norway, third, SEB Lithuania and fourth SEB Germany. The Finns have now secured a place in the BGF semi-finals that will take place during the course of 2008. Here the team will face international division winners from 2007. If they successfully win the semi-final division, they will proceed to our World Finals, where the top three winning teams will be selected to go to Cannes, French Riviera for our BGF award ceremony. The winners from last years SEB Championship, SEB Lithuania, went all the way to the BGF World Finals and finished 3rd. For that, they will be awarded in the BGF Award Ceremony in Cannes that takes place in the beginning of April 2008. Will the Finnish team follow in their footsteps to the French Riviera this year? Remains to be seen, may the best team win!.

Team HKI´s team member Tomi Tuominen said, "BGF Championship brought people from different functions and backgrounds to work together on a joint mission - with full enthusiasm. Although decisions in the game did not have real-life consequences, the gaming experience, teamwork, tactics, analysis and the thrill were all very real. We wish to thank BGF for creating an intriguing and realistic simulation that gave players the opportunity to put in their full focus and enjoy the game. For us, the game proved that people, who do not work together or know each other previously, can form a unified team and concentrate on the task at hand - no matter if it is a multibillion company. Participants perfected their skills in teamwork, focus, analysis and understanding of complex decision structures - all vital to success anywhere, anytime."

About the SEB Championships in Business Management

The SEB Championships have been running for four successful consecutive years. The task is to gather a team of 3-5 players. The team will then have the opportunity to run a simulated multinational company in competition with their SEB colleagues for market shares, profits and revenue. Besides the fun and motivational SEB competition, the purpose of the Championships are for individuals to further develop skills in business strategies, management board dynamics, financial analysis and team work. The SEB Championships take place every September.

James Baker-Duly,

Business Game Factory
+46735109397
James.bakerduly(#)bgfactory.com

Skanska Project Support, Winner of September's Construction Tournament

After finishing first in this autumn’s BGF Construction Tournament, Skanska Project Support Sweden are now through to the semifinals for next year. The semifinal is run in September 2008 where the Skanska team will face the division winners from all around the world to compete for a place in the finals. The top 3 teams in the final will be invited to BGF Awards in Cannes, at the French Riviera for the prize ceremony.

Team leader for Skanska Project Support, Lars Karlson, CFO, had the following to say about their experience of the tournament. "We greatly enjoyed participating in this game. It was challenging to analyze matters and issues none of us normally do in our daily work. It was also exiting to grasp an overall view, to make decisions based on our findings, and see how the results came out. A great benefit with this exercise is to gather people from different professions and to combine their knowledge and experience. For us it worked out well. We had fun and learned a lot which will be useful both in present and future assignments. We definitely recommend the BGF Business Game Tournament to other units in Skanska"

About the Construction Tournament in Business Management

The Construction tournament has been running for many years now with great success. The task is to gather a team of 3-5 players, the team will then have the opportunity to run a simulated multinational company in competition with other teams from the construction industry for market shares, profits and revenue. Besides the fun and motivational competition, the purpose of the tournament is for individuals to further develop skills in business strategies, management board dynamics, financial analysis and team work.

Patrik Thorman,
Business Game Factory Ltd.
mobile +46 70 783 73 89
phone +46 (0)8 20 39 35
patrik.thorman(#)bgfactory.com

VIPnet qualifies to the BGF World Semi-Final, again!

Sitting from left to right: Jadranka Ranogajec, Iva Vodopija (team leader), Ratko Marolin, Silvana Madunić and in front: Aleksandra Gostimir


For a second year in a row, VIPnet enrolled two outperforming teams (Aragorn and Nika) to the BGF Global Business Tournament organised by Business Game Factory Ltd. They formed management teams of given virtual global companies and played against seven other teams representing different real-life firms. The goal was to make strategic decisions to create the highest shareholder value. Aragorn stormed to the winning position of the division and Nika followed in excellent second place. Consequently, Aragorn proceeds to the World Semi-Final, which will be held in September 2008. It is worthwhile mentioning that VIPnet was also represented in the Semi-Final of 2007.


Experience – We had a chance to see all the aspects of the market, and we realised how important the group work is - you listen to the others, give your ideas, analyse results, sometimes bringing wrong ideas but overall it gives a good global picture of business. Most of all it was very dynamic and interesting, and in the end victorious.

Benefits – First of all, building the team spirit. Every one of us gave their best; someone was good at analysis, others in forecasting, someone would see the key detail and others the big picture. Second thing we got to practice was strategic thinking and finding out the key inputs for our „action plan“. And thirdly, perhaps the most interesting for Aragorn team, we had the opportunity to make decisions from top management perspective. As we mostly handle operative tasks in our work place, this was something new and very interesting.


Next steps – The competition goes on next fall. Our team will participate in semi-finals and hope for the best. Until then life and business goes on. Some of the skills we practiced or maybe just discovered in ourselves, we will continue to use and benefit from.

Perstorp In-House, successfully arranged by BGF

Five Perstorp teams from all around the globe, participated in the BGF In-House Tournament. The objective with the tournament was to give young potentials; the majority of them engineers, the opportunity to learn about the business aspect of a company and why certain decisions are made at top level management. Included in the tournament, the teams gained an insight into financial planning, business strategies and teambuilding.

Team leader Kim Lindborg of the winning team “Oxo” said, “I think that the Business Game is not only a great opportunity to freshen up those financial skills, but a joyful learning experience all along. There is the team dynamics aspect, the management of time and resources, the communication challenges and also a great way to get to know new co-workers. To me, some learning experiences have had more impact than others. I think it is important that each individual takes responsibility for their own learning from the Business Game. Sometimes the learning opportunities come up where you least expect them – it’s about learning what to do but also what not to do in the situations that we face. Thank you to all that have been involved in this. Now, me and my team are looking forward to facing the challenges from other companies in the next round.”

BGF will like to congratulate all the teams for their input into the tournament and wish team “Oxo” all the best of business gaming in the semi-finals!

For further enquiries about the tournament contact:
James Baker-Duly, BGF, james.bakerduly@bgfactory.com
Maria Hägglund, Perstorp