The Outsourcing Game: Practitioner Testimonials

Since 2003, the Outsourcing Game has been played by more than 1,000 people in North America, Asia, and Europe.

Feedback from Professors

Feedback from Students

Feedback from Industry Practitioners

"Hewlett Packard outsources pieces of its design and manufacturing to deliver innovation and quality at low cost. But managing outsourced design and manufacturing is difficult and managers historically have only been able to figure it out through on-the-job experience. HP uses the Outsourcing Game to speed up how managers learn. The simulation lets managers experience virtually in hours what can take years to unfold in the real world. They see how the relationships between different players evolve, how both big and little players can have disproportional influence, and what it takes to win the game. They learn the practical tools needed to be successful in the highly competitive, global market for outsourced design and manufacturing."
- Bill Crandall, former Senior Director and General Manager, Hewlett Packard

"Valuable, engaging, and eye opening. An excellent simulation of the real issues facing an outsourcing executive."
- Daniel Hawtof, former Vice President, Performance Research Services, iSuppli Corporation

"The Outsourcing Game is based on the reality of dealing with suppliers and their motivations. I’ve read and studied the process of contracting, and have practiced it for many years at large corporations. However, compared with a stereotypical training session, the game demonstrates that outsourcing is a lot more than just costs, margins, and negotiations. It helps you experience personally the drivers and motivations that will make or break an outsourced relationship."
- Ernie B., Senior Engineering Manager, enterprise computing hardware manufacturer

"As a project engineer in the aerospace industry, I work within a dense supply chain network. The Outsourcing Game has given me a greater perspective regarding the incentives and actions of the entire supply chain network. I have utilized lessons learned form the Outsourcing game to obtain greater depth and understanding of the business climate, to improve supply chain relationships, and finally to negotiate better terms for my organization."
- Thomas B., Project Engineer, aerospace and defense industry

"Practical exercises like the Outsourcing Game are a terrific way to engage minds and add rehearsal experience. The facilitation empowered participants by adding strength to their natural abilities and enhancing their skill set through team collaboration. Creative thinking can be learned and this is a safe way to apply this learning.”
- Thomas C., Operational Excellence Manager, medical and surgical supplies manufacturer and distributor

"I found the game to be useful, fun and engaging. But I was MAD when other teams reneged on verbal contracts or made deals behind our back. After the game, I discussed the 'reneged deals.' I learned that I need to pay better attention to what is NOT being said and to really take the time to understand the goals and incentives of all parties involved in a negotiation or outsourcing project - big or small players. This game has actually replayed itself several times in my job and personal life, especially the piece about understanding and hearing what IS NOT said. I’ve noticed from several supplier visits and negotiations that you can learn a lot by picking up on the unspoken and by doing your research before hand to understand what will truly motivate and incent the different players."
- Lynn D., Senior Procurement Agent, aerospace and defense industry

"The game was very engaging and enjoyable. In fact, team rivalries carried over for several weeks of friendly teasing with co-workers! The scenario was real enough that people thought about actual suppliers as they role-played and made decisions in the game. Some members favored 'ma and pa shops,' due to good experiences with their small suppliers. Others took the stance of rewarding business to the lowest cost supplier - 'tough luck' if the small companies couldn’t compete. Overall, I gained new insights into some of the outsourcing trade-offs that must be made: big versus small suppliers, low costs versus better service, giving up engineering control to achieve a faster time to market, etc."
- Brent F., Supply Chain Program Engineer, enterprise computing hardware manufacturer

"The Outsourcing Game was fun. It provided a nice way to learn more about my teammates, who were from different companies. In negotiating with the other teams, the experience was very true to what happens in the real world. Even though we didn't have all the information for the game scenario, we made up for it by bringing in our real world experiences (and bending the rules!). Probably the best thing about it for me was that I saw other parts of the procurement/sourcing process that I don't normally deal with. This helped me think more deeply about the drivers behind those other aspects."
- Mike O., Global Sourcing Manager, telecommunications systems manufacturer

"The Outsourcing Game was an awesome learning experience. And it’s also so true when it comes to practical working life. Your ability to negotiate depends so much on power you hold vs. the power the others hold."
- Sukhpal P., Supplier Program Manager, aerospace and defense industry

"Enjoyable! The Outsourcing Game provided a nice opportunity to work with professionals from different companies, especially those who saw the 'outsourcing' problem statement from a different perspective. Sharing ideas in working through the challenges created a good learning experience. The game was consistent with what I’ve seen in the real world. You have to think about the other party’s position and bargaining power. It's not about winning at all costs. Even though I’ve had a lot of experience in this area, the game reinforced what I already knew: That preparation and doing one's homework before any serious negotiations is key to building LASTING success!"
- Paul R., Vice President, Americas, semiconductor manufacturing industry

"The Outsourcing Game was a fun and interactive learning experience. Without realizing it, we found ourselves behaving in certain ways based on the incentives that were motivating us. It is a very creative way to learn about important behavioral nuances that we experience in our everyday work environment. All of us had fun talking about it afterwards and people talked about their previous experiences and how the game had shed light on something that had puzzled them before. The big learning that has stayed with me is to always look at metrics and incentives and assess how I would behave if this is what I was being measured against. It has helped me to put myself in other people’s shoes and understand their decisions."
- Bindiya V, Program Manager, Supply Chain Risk Management, telecommunications systems manufacturer

"The Outsourcing Game was extremely fun and engaging! Since each person was assigned a role, participants became committed to the process and cared about the outcome. Because I haven’t experienced all the dynamics of outsourcing in my current job, the Outsourcing Game gave me a valuable 'big picture' view of outsourcing I wouldn’t have otherwise experienced. I can identify industry players (including my own company) that I would compare to BuildIt, Acme, Loen, and Design. It helps me consider who is most likely to be outsourced in the future, and what value each department or supplier brings to the whole.'
- Liz W., Production Manager, packaged food and beverage industry

To learn more, contact Emeraldwise today at learnmore@emeraldwise.com.