Tata Interactive Systems launches TOPSIM, Europe’s top business simulation, in the UK

A specially invited audience of senior business managers and human capital management specialists from the UK’s top companies are being given a special preview of Tata Interactive’s suite of business simulations – TOPSIM – which are being launched globally and available to the UK market for the first time.

The preview takes place on 17th May at Imperial College, London, where in addition to being able to participate in the project management TOPSIM simulation, delegates will hear a case study of how TOPSIM is being used by – and the benefits it brings to – a major European organisation.

TOPSIM offers a rich and highly complex environment with a case-based approach. Over that period, it has been used by major corporations such as BASF chemicals, Bosch, and Siemens as well as by universities and business schools in Europe and, more recently, India and the USA.

Alan Samuel, TIS’s head of operations in the UK said: "TOPSIM is not e-learning but blended learning with the emphasis on the classroom and where the learning is collaborative."

As a team-based competitive simulation, TOPSIM requires that players show the ability to make strategic decisions as a team. As it simulates the whole business environment, it gives participants a bird’s eye view of business management and competitive dynamics.

"We do not sell software. We sell a thrilling way to learn," said Dr Georg Fehling, Vice President of Tata Interactive Systems Germany.

"A management simulation is like a flight simulator for managers. It’s not as complex as an actual aircraft flight, but it provides a fairly accurate idea of how an actual flight will go," he explained.

According to Fehling, the TOPSIM approach is focused on decision making in a multi-player, competitive environment. Not only does it cover an important period in a company’s life, but it also tells a story.

"There are currently 15 generic TOPSIM simulation titles and these are being used by more than 1,600 organisations around the world," Fehling revealed.

"Customers tend to like TOPSIM because it has been around for some 35 years or so and has proved itself to be a highly stable simulation, producing reliable results," he added. "Its real value lies in being able to connect ‘isles of knowledge’ in a social learning environment while making the whole learning experience fun!"

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Notes for editors

About TOPSIM® Simulations

TOPSIM Simulations are advanced and comprehensive models that simulate operating environments, used as innovative methods to teach business and management competencies. The simulated environments include business start-ups; a single business function; overall management of an enterprise; managing in global markets, and the macroeconomics of a country.

Typically played by teams in a workshop format over two or three days, TOPSIM participants compete with other teams in a simulated environment. While proceeding through different modules, teams plan, strategise and make decisions, taking into account the many variables that influence the operating environment. At the workshops, an instructor acts as the teams’ coordinator, controller of environment variables and as educator to help teams interpret results and reports.

The large number of variables that influence decision-making is what makes TOPSIM a highly complex simulation and sets it apart from other business simulations in the market.

TOPSIM products currently cover 15 areas: TOPSIM – Manager, TOPSIM – General Management, TOPSIM – Logistics, TOPSIM – Banking, TOPSIM – Euro, TOPSIM – Marketing, TOPSIM – E-commerce, TOPSIM – Macro Economics, TOPSIM – Business Developments, TOPSIM – General Airline Management Simulation, TOPSIM – Change Management, TOPSIM – Project Management, TOPSIM – Easy Startup, TOPSIM –Global Challenge, and TOPSIM – Production Startup

TOPSIM – Simulations are used by numerous corporate enterprises, education centres, and universities (including over 200 universities in Germany alone).

Besides TOPSIM® – Simulations, TIS also offers management training sessions, from ‘Introduction to Business Administration for Engineers’ to ‘Top-Executive Leadership Development’ programs through its simulations products range SimBLs™.

About Tata Interactive Systems (TIS)

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a global leader in e-learning, is a part of the $22bn Tata Group. Truly international, TIS has a presence across the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Japan, India, and mainland Europe. TIS offers corporations, universities, schools, publishers, and government institutions a diversified and innovative bouquet of learning and training solutions including Simulation-based Learning Objects (SimBLs™), Story-based Learning Objects (StoBLs™), courseware and curriculum design, special-needs education, assessments, electronic performance support systems (EPSS), mobile learning, along with other corporate training and consultancy services. Our multi-disciplinary expertise and 16 years’ experience across domains helps us design e-learning programmes that are unique to clients’ requirements and specifically crafted to boost knowledge retention and application.

Apart from holding ISO 9001 certification, TIS is the only e-learning organisation in the world to be assessed at Level 5 in both the SEI-CMM and P-CMM frameworks. TIS’s quest for excellence is reflected in numerous prestigious industry awards, including a Silver Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Award 2005 and 2004, APEX Award of Excellence in 2005 and 2006, BETT Awards in 2004 and 2006, and two Business World–NID Design Excellence awards.

For more information log on to www.tatainteractive.com

Further information from:
Alan Samuel, Tata Interactive Systems, 020 7905 0156, www.tatainteractive.com
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 01727 860405, www.boblittlepr.com