Gestion - Semestre 6

Annee Universitaire : 2022-2023
Semestre : 6
Credits : 2 ECTS
Specialite : Management et Gestion d'Entreprise

PART A - Presentation Generale du Cours

Vue d'ensemble

Ce cours introduit les bases de la gestion d'entreprise pour ingenieurs, avec un focus sur la gestion financiere, la comptabilite et la prise de decision manageriale. Le point fort du cours est le jeu SIMGEST, une simulation de gestion d'entreprise ou les etudiants gerent une societe virtuelle en equipe pendant plusieurs periodes.

Objectifs pedagogiques :

Comprendre les documents comptables (bilan, compte de resultat)
Maitriser les indicateurs financiers (seuil de rentabilite, CAF, ratios)
Analyser la performance d'une entreprise
Prendre des decisions manageriales strategiques
Simuler la gestion reelle d'une entreprise avec SIMGEST

Position dans le cursus

Ce cours complete et approfondit :

Entreprise (S5) : notions de base sur l'entreprise et son environnement
Finance (S7) : approfondissement des aspects financiers et investissement

Il prepare aux competences transversales :

Gestion de projets : budgets, planification, ressources
Stage et vie professionnelle : comprehension des enjeux business
Entrepreneuriat : outils pour creer et gerer une entreprise

PART B - Experience Personnelle et Contexte d'Apprentissage

Organisation et ressources

Le module etait structure en trois volets :

1. Cours magistraux :

Comptabilite generale et documents de synthese
Calculs de couts et seuil de rentabilite
Gestion de tresorerie et financement
Ratios financiers et analyse de performance

2. Travaux diriges :

Exercices de comptabilite (bilan, compte de resultat)
Calculs de couts de revient et marges
Etudes de cas d'entreprises reelles
Analyse d'etats financiers

3. Jeu SIMGEST :

Simulation de gestion d'entreprise en equipe (4-5 personnes)
Prise de decisions sur 6-8 periodes (trimestres)
Competition entre equipes sur un meme marche
Analyse des resultats et strategies

Le jeu SIMGEST

Principe :

SIMGEST est une simulation ou chaque equipe gere une entreprise de production et vente de produits. A chaque periode (trimestre), l'equipe doit prendre des decisions dans plusieurs domaines :

Decisions a prendre :

Domaine	Decisions
Production	Quantites a produire, embauches/licenciements, heures supplementaires
Commercial	Prix de vente, budget publicite, force de vente
Investissement	Achat de machines, extension capacite de production
Financier	Emprunts, remboursements, dividendes
Stocks	Gestion matieres premieres et produits finis

Deroulement typique d'une periode :

1. Analyse de la periode precedente :

Resultats commerciaux (ventes realisees vs prevues)
Etat financier (tresorerie, rentabilite)
Position par rapport aux concurrents

2. Previsions :

Estimation de la demande du marche
Anticipation des actions des concurrents
Calcul du seuil de rentabilite

3. Prise de decision :

Ajustement des prix
Budget marketing et commercial
Plan de production
Investissements eventuels

4. Saisie des decisions :

Formulaire de decision a remplir
Coherence entre production, ventes et finance

5. Simulation et resultats :

Le logiciel calcule les resultats du trimestre
Reception du bilan, compte de resultat, tableaux de bord

Indicateurs de performance :

Part de marche : pourcentage des ventes totales
Rentabilite : resultat net / chiffre d'affaires
Tresorerie : disponibilites en banque
Cours de l'action : valorisation de l'entreprise (critere de classement)

Strategies observees :

Differentes approches etaient possibles :

Strategie de domination par les couts :

Prix bas pour conquerir des parts de marche
Production en grandes series
Limitation des couts marketing
Risque : guerre des prix, marges faibles

Strategie de differenciation :

Prix eleves, qualite percue superieure
Investissement fort en publicite
Marges importantes
Risque : volume de ventes limite

Strategie d'equilibre :

Prix moyens, marketing modere
Production flexible
Recherche d'efficacite operationnelle

Difficultes et apprentissages

Gestion de la tresorerie :
Probleme majeur pour beaucoup d'equipes : rupture de tresorerie due a des investissements trop lourds ou a des stocks excessifs. Il faut equilibrer croissance et sante financiere.

Prevision de la demande :
Difficile d'anticiper les ventes, surtout avec la concurrence. Surproduction = stocks couteux, sous-production = ventes manquees.

Coordination d'equipe :
Les decisions dans un domaine impactent les autres (ex : publicite augmente les ventes, donc besoin de plus de production). Communication essentielle.

Pression du temps :
Decisions a prendre en temps limite, necessite de s'organiser et de deleguer.

PART C - Aspects Techniques Detailles

1. Documents Comptables Fondamentaux

Le Bilan :

Photo du patrimoine de l'entreprise a un instant T.

Structure :

ACTIF (emplois, ce que possede l'entreprise) :

Actif immobilise : terrains, batiments, machines, brevets
Actif circulant : stocks, creances clients, disponibilites (banque, caisse)

PASSIF (ressources, origine des financements) :

Capitaux propres : capital social, reserves, resultat de l'exercice
Dettes : emprunts bancaires, dettes fournisseurs, dettes fiscales

Principe de base : Actif = Passif (equilibre comptable)

Exemple simplifie de bilan :

ACTIF	Montant	PASSIF	Montant
Immobilisations	500 000 €	Capital social	300 000 €
Stocks	150 000 €	Reserves	100 000 €
Creances clients	80 000 €	Resultat	50 000 €
Banque	70 000 €	Emprunts	250 000 €
		Dettes fournisseurs	100 000 €
Total	800 000 €	Total	800 000 €

Le Compte de Resultat :

Film de l'activite sur une periode (exercice comptable, generalement un an).

Structure :

CHARGES (depenses) :

Achats de matieres premieres
Charges de personnel (salaires + charges sociales)
Charges externes (loyers, assurances, publicite)
Dotations aux amortissements (usure des equipements)
Charges financieres (interets d'emprunts)

PRODUITS (recettes) :

Ventes de marchandises ou produits finis
Production stockee (variation de stocks)
Produits financiers (interets percus)

Resultat = Produits - Charges

Si positif : benefice, si negatif : perte

Exemple simplifie de compte de resultat :

Charges	Montant	Produits	Montant
Achats matieres	200 000 €	Ventes	500 000 €
Salaires	150 000 €
Loyers	30 000 €
Publicite	40 000 €
Amortissements	25 000 €
Interets emprunts	15 000 €
Total charges	460 000 €	Total produits	500 000 €
		Resultat (benefice)	40 000 €

2. Calculs de Couts et Seuil de Rentabilite

Cout de revient :

Somme de tous les couts pour produire et vendre un produit.

Cout de revient = Cout d'achat des matieres + Cout de production + Cout de distribution

Marge :

Marge unitaire = Prix de vente - Cout de revient unitaire

Taux de marge = Marge / Prix de vente × 100

Seuil de rentabilite (point mort) :

Niveau de chiffre d'affaires a partir duquel l'entreprise ne fait ni benefice ni perte.

Charges fixes : charges qui ne varient pas avec le volume de production (loyers, amortissements, salaires fixes).

Charges variables : charges proportionnelles au volume (matieres premieres, energie).

Calcul simplifie :

Seuil de rentabilite = Charges fixes / Taux de marge sur cout variable

ou Taux de marge sur cout variable = (CA - Charges variables) / CA

Exemple :

Entreprise avec :

Charges fixes : 100 000 €/an
Prix de vente unitaire : 50 €
Cout variable unitaire : 30 €

Marge unitaire = 50 - 30 = 20 €

Quantite seuil = Charges fixes / Marge unitaire = 100 000 / 20 = 5 000 unites

CA seuil = 5 000 × 50 = 250 000 €

Au-dela de 5 000 unites vendues, l'entreprise est beneficiaire.

3. Gestion de Tresorerie

Tresorerie = Disponibilites (banque + caisse)

Flux de tresorerie :

Encaissements (entrees) :

Paiements clients
Emprunts obtenus
Apports en capital

Decaissements (sorties) :

Paiements fournisseurs
Salaires et charges sociales
Investissements
Remboursements d'emprunts
Impots et taxes

Principe : Tresorerie fin de periode = Tresorerie debut + Encaissements - Decaissements

Problemes de tresorerie :

Rupture de tresorerie = tresorerie negative, impossibilite de payer les fournisseurs ou salaires.

Causes frequentes :

Decalage entre ventes (a credit) et achats (a payer)
Investissements trop lourds
Stocks excessifs qui immobilisent de l'argent
Previsions de ventes trop optimistes

Solutions :

Negocier des delais de paiement avec fournisseurs
Reduire les delais de paiement clients
Obtenir un emprunt ou decouvert bancaire
Diminuer les stocks
Reporter des investissements

Capacite d'autofinancement (CAF) :

Mesure des ressources generees par l'activite.

CAF = Resultat net + Dotations aux amortissements

Les amortissements ne sont pas des sorties de tresorerie (depense passee lors de l'achat), donc on les rajoute.

4. Ratios Financiers

Les ratios permettent d'analyser rapidement la sante financiere d'une entreprise.

Ratios de rentabilite :

Taux de marge nette = Resultat net / CA × 100

Rentabilite des capitaux propres (ROE) = Resultat net / Capitaux propres × 100

Rentabilite economique (ROA) = Resultat d'exploitation / Actif total × 100

Ratios de liquidite :

Ratio de liquidite generale = Actif circulant / Dettes a court terme

Mesure la capacite a payer les dettes a court terme. Idealement > 1.

Ratios d'endettement :

Taux d'endettement = Dettes financieres / Capitaux propres × 100

Mesure le niveau de dependance aux emprunts. Trop eleve = risque financier.

Ratios de rotation :

Rotation des stocks = CA / Stock moyen

Nombre de fois ou le stock est renouvele dans l'annee. Eleve = bonne gestion des stocks.

Delai moyen de paiement clients = (Creances clients / CA TTC) × 360 jours

Temps moyen avant encaissement des ventes.

5. Decisions d'Investissement

Investissement : depense immediate pour obtenir des benefices futurs.

Amortissement :

Mecanisme comptable qui repartit le cout d'un investissement sur sa duree d'utilisation.

Exemple : machine achetee 100 000 €, duree de vie 5 ans.

Amortissement lineaire : 100 000 / 5 = 20 000 €/an

Chaque annee, on constate une charge de 20 000 € (qui reduit le resultat) sans sortie de tresorerie.

Valeur nette comptable (VNC) :

VNC = Valeur d'origine - Amortissements cumules

Apres 3 ans : VNC = 100 000 - (3 × 20 000) = 40 000 €

Evaluation d'un investissement :

Criteres de decision :

Valeur actuelle nette (VAN) :
Somme des flux de tresorerie futurs actualises - Investissement initial.
Si VAN > 0 : investissement rentable.

Delai de recuperation :
Temps necessaire pour recuperer l'investissement initial par les flux generes.

Taux de rentabilite interne (TRI) :
Taux d'actualisation qui annule la VAN. Plus il est eleve, meilleur est l'investissement.

6. Strategie et Analyse Concurrentielle

Analyse SWOT :

Outil d'analyse strategique.

Interne	Externe
Strengths (Forces) : atouts internes (technologie, competences, marque)	Opportunities (Opportunites) : facteurs externes favorables (marche croissant, nouvelle technologie)
Weaknesses (Faiblesses) : limites internes (manque de ressources, image)	Threats (Menaces) : facteurs externes defavorables (concurrence, reglementation)

Strategies generiques de Porter :

Domination par les couts : etre le moins cher
Differenciation : offrir un produit unique justifiant un prix eleve
Focalisation : se concentrer sur un segment de marche specifique

Positionnement prix-qualite :

Matrice permettant de situer son offre par rapport aux concurrents selon deux axes : prix et qualite percue.

PART D - Analyse Reflexive et Perspectives

Competences acquises

Lecture et comprehension des documents financiers :
Capacite a analyser un bilan et un compte de resultat, identifier les points forts et faibles d'une entreprise, detecter des problemes de tresorerie ou d'endettement.

Prise de decision manageriale :
Le jeu SIMGEST a developpe la capacite a prendre des decisions sous contraintes (temps, informations limitees, incertitude), a arbitrer entre objectifs contradictoires (croissance vs rentabilite).

Travail en equipe :
Coordination, delegation, communication, gestion de desaccords. Essentiel dans tout environnement professionnel.

Vision globale de l'entreprise :
Comprehension des interactions entre fonctions (production, commercial, finance). Une decision dans un domaine impacte les autres.

Points cles a retenir

1. La tresorerie est reine :
Une entreprise peut etre rentable sur le papier mais faire faillite par manque de liquidites. Surveiller constamment les flux de tresorerie.

2. Benefice ≠ Tresorerie :
Le resultat comptable ne reflete pas les mouvements d'argent reels. Tenir compte des delais de paiement, stocks, investissements.

3. Equilibre croissance-rentabilite :
Croitre trop vite peut tuer une entreprise (besoins de financement, stocks, recrutements). Privilegier une croissance maitrisee.

4. Importance de la prevision :
Anticiper les ventes, les couts, les besoins de tresorerie. Construire des scenarios (optimiste, pessimiste, realiste).

5. Analyse avant action :
Toujours analyser les resultats passes avant de decider. Comprendre pourquoi les objectifs n'ont pas ete atteints.

Applications pratiques

Projets etudiants :
Les competences en gestion de budget et planification sont utiles pour tous les projets d'ecole (PPI, projets techniques). Savoir estimer les couts, gerer un budget.

Stage et entreprise :
Comprehension du langage et des enjeux business. Capacite a dialoguer avec les services financiers, marketing, production. Justifier des investissements techniques.

Entrepreneuriat :
Outils essentiels pour creer une entreprise : business plan, previsions financieres, seuil de rentabilite, gestion de tresorerie.

Gestion de carriere :
Comprendre comment fonctionne l'entreprise qui vous emploie. Evaluer sa sante financiere. Negocier salaires et budgets.

Retour d'experience SIMGEST

Apprentissages concrets :

Le jeu SIMGEST a permis de vivre les consequences de nos decisions :

Une guerre des prix mal geree a detruit nos marges
Un investissement massif sans financement adapte a cree une crise de tresorerie
L'importance de se differencier plutot que de copier les concurrents

Aspects ludiques et pedagogiques :
La competition entre equipes cree une emulation. On apprend beaucoup des erreurs (les siennes et celles des autres). Le debriefing apres chaque periode est crucial pour comprendre.

Limites du jeu :
Simplification de la realite (pas de problemes RH, qualite produit fixe, pas d'innovation). Mais l'essentiel de la logique de gestion est la.

Limites et ouvertures

Limites du cours :

Peu de comptabilite analytique (calculs de couts detailles)
Peu de marketing operationnel
Pas de gestion des ressources humaines en profondeur
Peu d'aspects juridiques et fiscaux

Ouvertures vers :

Finance d'entreprise : evaluation, investissement, marches financiers
Controle de gestion : tableaux de bord, indicateurs de performance
Gestion de projet : methodes agiles, planning, ressources
Marketing strategique : etudes de marche, positionnement
Entrepreneuriat : creation de startup, levee de fonds, pitch

Conclusion

Le cours de Gestion apporte des competences complementaires indispensables a la formation d'ingenieur. Trop souvent, les ingenieurs se concentrent sur les aspects techniques et negligent les dimensions economiques et manageriales.

Ce cours donne les cles pour comprendre le langage de l'entreprise, analyser sa sante financiere, et prendre des decisions eclairees. Le jeu SIMGEST est une experience marquante qui simule la complexite de la gestion reelle.

Evolution des competences requises :
Dans un environnement de plus en plus contraint (budgets, delais, concurrence), l'ingenieur doit justifier economiquement ses choix techniques. Comprendre les enjeux financiers devient un atout majeur.

Recommandations :

Participer activement au jeu SIMGEST (maximum d'apprentissage)
Analyser les etats financiers d'entreprises reelles (rapports annuels)
Lire la presse economique pour comprendre les enjeux business
Appliquer les outils de gestion dans les projets etudiants

Liens avec les autres cours :

Finance - S7 : approfondissement financier
Droit - S8 : aspects juridiques de l'entreprise

Documents de Cours

Synthese Gestion Financiere

Cours de synthese couvrant la comptabilite, l'analyse financiere, les ratios et l'interpretation des documents comptables.

Telecharger

Livret SIMGEST

Guide complet du jeu de simulation de gestion d'entreprise SIMGEST avec regles, strategies et conseils.

Telecharger

Management - Semester 6

Academic Year: 2022-2023
Semester: 6
Credits: 2 ECTS
Specialization: Business Management and Administration

PART A - General Course Overview

Overview

This course introduces the fundamentals of business management for engineers, focusing on financial management, accounting, and managerial decision-making. The highlight of the course is the SIMGEST game, a business management simulation where students manage a virtual company as a team over several periods.

Learning objectives:

Understand accounting documents (balance sheet, income statement)
Master financial indicators (break-even point, self-financing capacity, ratios)
Analyze company performance
Make strategic managerial decisions
Simulate real business management with SIMGEST

Position in the curriculum

This course builds upon and deepens:

Business Studies (S5): fundamentals of companies and their environment
Finance (S7): deeper exploration of financial aspects and investment

It prepares for cross-disciplinary skills:

Project management: budgets, planning, resources
Internships and professional life: understanding business challenges
Entrepreneurship: tools for creating and managing a business

PART B - Personal Experience and Learning Context

Organization and resources

The module was structured in three components:

1. Lectures:

General accounting and summary documents
Cost calculations and break-even point
Cash flow management and financing
Financial ratios and performance analysis

2. Tutorials:

Accounting exercises (balance sheet, income statement)
Cost price and margin calculations
Real company case studies
Financial statement analysis

3. SIMGEST Game:

Team-based business management simulation (4-5 people)
Decision-making over 6-8 periods (quarters)
Competition between teams on the same market
Analysis of results and strategies

The SIMGEST Game

Principle:

SIMGEST is a simulation where each team manages a manufacturing and sales company. Each period (quarter), the team must make decisions across several domains:

Decisions to make:

Domain	Decisions
Production	Quantities to produce, hiring/layoffs, overtime
Commercial	Selling price, advertising budget, sales force
Investment	Machine purchases, production capacity expansion
Financial	Loans, repayments, dividends
Inventory	Raw materials and finished goods management

Typical period workflow:

1. Previous period analysis:

Sales results (actual vs. forecast)
Financial status (cash flow, profitability)
Position relative to competitors

2. Forecasting:

Market demand estimation
Anticipating competitor actions
Break-even point calculation

3. Decision-making:

Price adjustments
Marketing and sales budget
Production plan
Potential investments

4. Decision entry:

Decision form to fill out
Consistency between production, sales, and finance

5. Simulation and results:

The software computes the quarter's results
Receipt of balance sheet, income statement, dashboards

Performance indicators:

Market share: percentage of total sales
Profitability: net income / revenue
Cash position: available bank balance
Share price: company valuation (ranking criterion)

Observed strategies:

Different approaches were possible:

Cost leadership strategy:

Low prices to capture market share
Large-scale production
Limited marketing costs
Risk: price war, low margins

Differentiation strategy:

High prices, higher perceived quality
Heavy investment in advertising
Significant margins
Risk: limited sales volume

Balanced strategy:

Average prices, moderate marketing
Flexible production
Focus on operational efficiency

Challenges and lessons learned

Cash flow management:
A major issue for many teams: cash shortfalls due to overly heavy investments or excessive inventory. Balancing growth and financial health is essential.

Demand forecasting:
Difficult to anticipate sales, especially with competition. Overproduction = costly inventory, underproduction = missed sales.

Team coordination:
Decisions in one area impact others (e.g., advertising increases sales, requiring more production). Communication is essential.

Time pressure:
Decisions must be made under time constraints, requiring organization and delegation.

PART C - Detailed Technical Aspects

1. Fundamental Accounting Documents

The Balance Sheet:

A snapshot of the company's assets at a given point in time.

Structure:

ASSETS (uses of funds, what the company owns):

Fixed assets: land, buildings, machinery, patents
Current assets: inventory, accounts receivable, cash (bank, petty cash)

LIABILITIES (sources of funding):

Shareholders' equity: share capital, reserves, net income
Debts: bank loans, accounts payable, tax liabilities

Fundamental principle: Assets = Liabilities (accounting balance)

Simplified balance sheet example:

ASSETS	Amount	LIABILITIES	Amount
Fixed assets	€500,000	Share capital	€300,000
Inventory	€150,000	Reserves	€100,000
Accounts receivable	€80,000	Net income	€50,000
Bank	€70,000	Loans	€250,000
		Accounts payable	€100,000
Total	€800,000	Total	€800,000

The Income Statement:

A record of business activity over a period (fiscal year, typically one year).

Structure:

EXPENSES:

Raw material purchases
Personnel costs (salaries + social charges)
External charges (rent, insurance, advertising)
Depreciation allowances (equipment wear)
Financial charges (loan interest)

REVENUE:

Sales of goods or finished products
Stored production (inventory variation)
Financial income (interest received)

Result = Revenue - Expenses

If positive: profit; if negative: loss

Simplified income statement example:

Expenses	Amount	Revenue	Amount
Raw materials	€200,000	Sales	€500,000
Salaries	€150,000
Rent	€30,000
Advertising	€40,000
Depreciation	€25,000
Loan interest	€15,000
Total expenses	€460,000	Total revenue	€500,000
		Result (profit)	€40,000

2. Cost Calculations and Break-Even Point

Cost price:

Sum of all costs to produce and sell a product.

Cost price = Material purchase cost + Production cost + Distribution cost

Margin:

Unit margin = Selling price - Unit cost price

Margin rate = Margin / Selling price × 100

Break-even point:

The level of revenue at which the company makes neither profit nor loss.

Fixed costs: costs that do not vary with production volume (rent, depreciation, fixed salaries).

Variable costs: costs proportional to volume (raw materials, energy).

Simplified calculation:

Break-even point = Fixed costs / Contribution margin ratio

where Contribution margin ratio = (Revenue - Variable costs) / Revenue

Example:

Company with:

Fixed costs: €100,000/year
Unit selling price: €50
Unit variable cost: €30

Unit margin = 50 - 30 = €20

Break-even quantity = Fixed costs / Unit margin = 100,000 / 20 = 5,000 units

Break-even revenue = 5,000 × 50 = €250,000

Beyond 5,000 units sold, the company is profitable.

3. Cash Flow Management

Cash = Available funds (bank + petty cash)

Cash flows:

Inflows (receipts):

Customer payments
Loans obtained
Capital contributions

Outflows (disbursements):

Supplier payments
Salaries and social charges
Investments
Loan repayments
Taxes

Principle: End-of-period cash = Beginning cash + Inflows - Outflows

Cash flow problems:

Cash shortfall = negative cash, inability to pay suppliers or salaries.

Common causes:

Timing mismatch between sales (on credit) and purchases (to be paid)
Overly heavy investments
Excessive inventory tying up capital
Overly optimistic sales forecasts

Solutions:

Negotiate payment terms with suppliers
Reduce customer payment delays
Obtain a loan or bank overdraft
Reduce inventory
Postpone investments

Self-financing capacity (CAF):

Measure of resources generated by operations.

CAF = Net income + Depreciation allowances

Depreciation is not a cash outflow (the expense occurred at the time of purchase), so it is added back.

4. Financial Ratios

Ratios enable quick analysis of a company's financial health.

Profitability ratios:

Net profit margin = Net income / Revenue × 100

Return on Equity (ROE) = Net income / Shareholders' equity × 100

Return on Assets (ROA) = Operating income / Total assets × 100

Liquidity ratios:

Current ratio = Current assets / Short-term liabilities

Measures the ability to pay short-term debts. Ideally > 1.

Debt ratios:

Debt-to-equity ratio = Financial debts / Shareholders' equity × 100

Measures the level of dependence on borrowing. Too high = financial risk.

Turnover ratios:

Inventory turnover = Revenue / Average inventory

Number of times inventory is renewed per year. High = good inventory management.

Average customer payment period = (Accounts receivable / Revenue incl. tax) × 360 days

Average time before sales are collected.

5. Investment Decisions

Investment: an immediate expenditure to obtain future benefits.

Depreciation:

An accounting mechanism that spreads the cost of an investment over its useful life.

Example: machine purchased for €100,000, useful life of 5 years.

Straight-line depreciation: 100,000 / 5 = €20,000/year

Each year, a charge of €20,000 is recorded (reducing the result) without any cash outflow.

Net book value (NBV):

NBV = Original value - Accumulated depreciation

After 3 years: NBV = 100,000 - (3 × 20,000) = €40,000

Investment evaluation:

Decision criteria:

Net Present Value (NPV):
Sum of discounted future cash flows - Initial investment.
If NPV > 0: the investment is profitable.

Payback period:
Time required to recoup the initial investment through generated cash flows.

Internal Rate of Return (IRR):
The discount rate that makes NPV equal to zero. The higher it is, the better the investment.

6. Strategy and Competitive Analysis

SWOT Analysis:

A strategic analysis tool.

Internal	External
Strengths: internal advantages (technology, skills, brand)	Opportunities: favorable external factors (growing market, new technology)
Weaknesses: internal limitations (lack of resources, image)	Threats: unfavorable external factors (competition, regulation)

Porter's generic strategies:

Cost leadership: being the cheapest
Differentiation: offering a unique product justifying a premium price
Focus: concentrating on a specific market segment

Price-quality positioning:

A matrix used to position one's offering relative to competitors along two axes: price and perceived quality.

PART D - Reflective Analysis and Perspectives

Skills acquired

Reading and understanding financial documents:
Ability to analyze a balance sheet and income statement, identify a company's strengths and weaknesses, and detect cash flow or debt issues.

Managerial decision-making:
The SIMGEST game developed the ability to make decisions under constraints (time, limited information, uncertainty) and to arbitrate between conflicting objectives (growth vs. profitability).

Teamwork:
Coordination, delegation, communication, conflict management. Essential in any professional environment.

Holistic business vision:
Understanding interactions between functions (production, sales, finance). A decision in one area impacts the others.

Key takeaways

1. Cash is king:
A company can be profitable on paper but go bankrupt due to lack of liquidity. Constantly monitor cash flows.

2. Profit ≠ Cash:
Accounting results do not reflect actual money movements. Consider payment terms, inventory, and investments.

3. Growth-profitability balance:
Growing too fast can kill a company (financing needs, inventory, hiring). Favor controlled growth.

4. Importance of forecasting:
Anticipate sales, costs, and cash requirements. Build scenarios (optimistic, pessimistic, realistic).

5. Analysis before action:
Always analyze past results before making decisions. Understand why objectives were not met.

Practical applications

Student projects:
Budget management and planning skills are useful for all school projects (PPI, technical projects). Knowing how to estimate costs and manage a budget.

Internships and companies:
Understanding business language and challenges. Ability to communicate with finance, marketing, and production departments. Justifying technical investments.

Entrepreneurship:
Essential tools for starting a business: business plan, financial forecasts, break-even point, cash flow management.

Career management:
Understanding how your employer's company operates. Evaluating its financial health. Negotiating salaries and budgets.

SIMGEST feedback

Concrete lessons learned:

The SIMGEST game allowed us to experience the consequences of our decisions:

A poorly managed price war destroyed our margins
A massive investment without adequate financing created a cash crisis
The importance of differentiating rather than copying competitors

Fun and educational aspects:
Competition between teams creates healthy emulation. You learn a lot from mistakes (your own and others'). The debriefing after each period is crucial for understanding.

Game limitations:
Simplification of reality (no HR problems, fixed product quality, no innovation). But the core logic of management is there.

Limitations and further directions

Course limitations:

Limited cost accounting (detailed cost calculations)
Limited operational marketing
No in-depth human resource management
Limited legal and tax aspects

Further directions:

Corporate finance: valuation, investment, financial markets
Management control: dashboards, performance indicators
Project management: agile methods, planning, resources
Strategic marketing: market research, positioning
Entrepreneurship: startup creation, fundraising, pitching

Conclusion

The Management course provides essential complementary skills for engineering education. Too often, engineers focus on technical aspects and neglect economic and managerial dimensions.

This course provides the keys to understanding business language, analyzing financial health, and making informed decisions. The SIMGEST game is a memorable experience that simulates the complexity of real management.

Evolution of required skills:
In an increasingly constrained environment (budgets, deadlines, competition), engineers must economically justify their technical choices. Understanding financial issues becomes a major asset.

Recommendations:

Actively participate in the SIMGEST game (maximum learning)
Analyze the financial statements of real companies (annual reports)
Read the business press to understand business challenges
Apply management tools to student projects

Links to other courses:

Finance - S7: deeper financial knowledge
Law - S8: legal aspects of business

Course Documents

Financial Management Summary

Summary course covering accounting, financial analysis, ratios, and the interpretation of accounting documents.

Download

SIMGEST Booklet

Complete guide to the SIMGEST business management simulation game with rules, strategies, and tips.

Download

← Retour aux Cours 2022-2023

Cours enseigne en 2022-2023 a l’INSA Toulouse, formation Genie Electrique et Informatique.Course taught in 2022-2023 at INSA Toulouse, Electrical and Computer Engineering program.