Streamliners®

Streamliners is a simulation that teaches specialised employees and project managers to work with a financial focus. They learn to integrate portfolio management, resource allocation, and economy from the onset.

BLIND TO The FINANCIAL ASPECTS

Specialists and project managers are often so intensely focused on delivery and quality that they become blind to the financial aspects of their projects. To them, it’s usually about trying to live up to the constantly shifting demands of the clients, delivering the challenging task on time, or to land the prestigious project at any cost.

To avoid sub-optimising on a project level, it is crucial to teach them how to think in terms of business finances.

THE RIGHT PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Streamliners is about being able to create and manage a project portfolio so that it will create as much revenue as possible. You must bring all relevant resources into play at the right times. The expensive senior employees must be used where they can do the most good, and you should outsource those tasks that can be solved more cheaply by freelancers. It’s all about having the guts to say no to some projects and taking the time to risk manage others, e.g. by hedging against currency fluctuations or demanding a more thorough description of deliveries. It is also about ensuring that part of the payment is due before the project is finished, so cost-heavy projects do not cause liquidity issues. 

THE GAME

In Streamliners, the participants play the role of a department. They compete with other departments on generating the largest revenue over a given time period. The participants can choose between projects that are either local or international. The projects are either high risk and high revenue or comparably modest with less revenue.

A committed discussion and a high energy level

Different actions that can lessen the risk of unforeseen expenditures are performed underway. Simultaneously, the participants are held responsible for securing liquidity in order to pay both the permanent staff and freelancers.

REFERENCE

Streamliners is based on the tool 'Financial Focus' that we originally developed for the engineering consulting firm COWI. They work in an industry with small margins, high risk, and large complexity, and the game has been used to train their project managers. 

“The game has been a success. It has created a committed discussion and a high energy level. We couldn’t have achieved this with PowerPoint. Among our various training activities, this is by far the most popular, and it’s the one where I’ve seen the most aha-moments among the participants" - Henrik R. Mortensen, Change Manager, COWI

APPLICATIONS

• For experts, project managers, portfolio managers and project leaders.
• Assists in creating a greater understanding of business and economic responsibility.
• As a prelude to working with new systems and principles.

OUTCOME

• A better understanding of the coordination challenges and financial aspects of managing a portfolio of projects. 
• Increased reflection on personal management styles and how to become better at handing risk, resources, planning and financial focus.

FACTS 

• Is played in groups of 3 to 6 persons.
• Can be played in a half or a full day or as part of a longer training programme.
• Can be facilitated by Workz or by your own employees who have been certified by Workz.
• Available in English.