What’s new in Revas Business Simulations for universities
20 min read
What’s new in Revas simulations this semester? The new semester brings several changes to the Revas Industry Business Simulations. Some give instructors greater flexibility in organizing gameplay, while others expand the range of decisions students face when managing their virtual company.
The updates include, among others, the ability to set the planned number of rounds and end the game with a results summary, new Instructor Certificate rules, more extensive premises and staff-cost management, and the option to compete against the computer.
Read on to see exactly what’s new.
New rules for the Revas instructor certificate
The rules governing the validity of the Revas Instructor Certificate are also changing. The certificate is now valid for 12 months from the date the last game was ordered. Each subsequent order starts a new 12-month validity period. This means instructors who use Revas regularly in their classes no longer need to renew their certificate separately – its validity is tied to consecutive game orders. The change also applies to new instructors: to receive the Instructor Certificate, they must complete the certification training and order their first game using a minimum of 10 license keys.
Decide how many rounds to play and end the game with a summary
Want to play the full 12 rounds, or are you planning a shorter, 7-round session? Until now, every game in the system was set up for 12 rounds by default. If an instructor decided to end it earlier, they had to inform students themselves, while the panel still showed the full count of 12 rounds.
Now, when creating a game, you can specify how many rounds you plan to play. This means students see the actual length of the game from the start and know how many rounds they have left to carry out their strategy. Once the last planned round has been played, the game can be officially ended and moves into the results summary.
During gameplay, the instructor can decide whether to end the game or extend it with additional rounds. The “End Game” button can be clicked at any time.
Once a session ends, the instructor’s panel displays a brief results summary, including the best-performing team, the group’s average result, and the highest revenue achieved. The instructor can also view the full team ranking.
The player’s panel, in turn, shows a summary of their own results, including the indicators that make up the Business Performance Score. This allows students to analyze their company’s results once the game has ended.
As a result, instructors no longer need to separately remind students when their game is ending, and every game – regardless of the planned number of rounds – can now conclude with a clear summary of the results achieved.
New premises management – real costs and smart investments
Another change appears in the advanced version of the Revas – Company Management simulation. Managing the company’s premises has been expanded: instead of simply specifying the number of workstations needed, players now choose a specific location, incur costs depending on its size, and can invest in its equipment and smart solutions.
Individual locations differ in the number of available workstations, monthly upkeep costs, and initial renovation costs. A larger location offers greater growth potential for the company but also comes with higher costs. As a result, the decision about the space a company operates in has a more direct impact on its finances.
Relocation must be planned in advance
Every employee needs their own workstation. If a company plans to increase its headcount, players need to check well in advance whether the current location can accommodate a larger team. If there aren’t enough workstations available, the company will need to relocate to a larger space. This also matters from a timing perspective – changing location takes one full round. If extra space will be needed the following month, the decision to relocate must be made in the current round already.
There is one more restriction: a company can only move to a larger location – there is no option to later downsize to a smaller one. Deciding to expand a company’s premises therefore requires taking both future staffing needs and costs into account.
Locations can be equipped with smart solutions
Another new feature is the ability to invest in equipping a location with smart solutions, such as solar panels or technologies that reduce energy and other resource consumption. Players must decide whether the cost of an investment made today will bring the company benefits in future rounds.
Workplace perks and employee benefits – different decisions, different costs
The changes also extend to managing the terms offered to employees. The existing perks have been split into two categories: workplace perks and employee benefits. They differ primarily in how they generate costs for the company.
Perks for the whole team
The first group covers solutions available to all employees, such as a coffee machine or a bike rack. The cost of this type of perk does not depend on the number of people employed at the company. Once the purchase decision is made, the entire team can use it. As the company grows, the cost of this type of investment does not increase automatically.
Benefits that scale with headcount
Employee benefits, such as health insurance or gym memberships, work differently. In this case, the company incurs a cost for every employee covered by a given benefit. As the team grows, the total cost of the benefit offered increases as well. Players need to consider not only which benefits they want to offer employees, but also whether the company will be able to fund them as headcount grows. Team growth is therefore even more closely tied to a company’s cost planning.
Playing against the computer – an additional aay to organize gameplay
A student’s absence from class, or the need to retake an assignment, can mean they’re unable to compete against the other teams. In such cases, the instructor can use the “play against the computer” mode.
When ordering a game in the Instructor panel, two modes are available:
- Team vs. team – the standard game format, in which teams compete against each other in a single market.
- Game against the computer – a game format that allows a player to compete against the computer.
When choosing to play against the computer, the instructor sets the difficulty level. Three options are available:
- Beginner,
- Intermediate,
- Advanced.
The instructor can then choose the game language and the planned number of rounds, and set the number of teams (up to 11), the number of virtual teams (up to 2), and the number of players per team (up to 5).
This gives instructors an additional way to organize gameplay for a student who is unable to take part in the standard team-vs-team competition.
Important: ordering a game against the computer is an additional paid option.
More industries to choose from in the simulations
We have also expanded the range of available industries, allowing instructors to better match the game’s theme to their field of study, course, or curriculum.
Six new industries have been added to the Company Management simulation:
- diet catering,
- production of organic pâtés and plant-based spreads,
- yogurt production,
- mayonnaise production,
- smoked meat production,
- fruit processing.
A new industry has also been added to the Project Management simulation: industrial enzyme production.
All the new industries are now available to select at the game-ordering stage.
What do these changes mean for instructors?
The new features affect two areas of working with the simulations. On one hand, instructors gain more options for organizing and clearly concluding gameplay – they can set the planned number of rounds, end the game with a results summary, and, in certain situations, launch a game against the computer. On the other hand, students are given even more decisions that mirror real company management, including choosing and paying for premises, making smart investments, and managing staffing, benefits, and perks for employees.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens once the planned number of rounds has been played?
Once the planned number of rounds is complete, the game moves into the results summary. The instructor can view, among other things, the best-performing team, the group’s average result, and the highest revenue achieved, while students receive a summary of their company’s results.
How long is the Revas Instructor Certificate valid?
The Instructor Certificate is valid for 12 months from the date the last game was ordered. Each subsequent order starts a new 12-month validity period.
What does choosing a location involve in the Revas simulation?
In the advanced version of the “Company Management” simulation, players choose the location where their virtual company operates. Locations differ in the number of available workstations, monthly upkeep costs, and initial renovation costs. Changing location takes one round, and a company can only move to a larger location.
What’s the difference between perks and employee benefits?
The cost of a perk, such as a bike rack, doesn’t depend on headcount and is incurred on behalf of the whole team. For benefits, such as health insurance or gym memberships, the company pays a cost for every employee covered by that benefit.
Can a student play the simulation against the computer?
Yes. The instructor can select the “vs. computer” mode, which lets a player compete against the computer. Three difficulty levels are available: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. This can be used, for example, when a student is absent from class or needs to retake an assignment.
Are all the new Revas features included in the standard version?
No. The ESG module and the option to order a game against the computer are both additional paid features.
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Author:
Kamil Wierciński
