The Outsourcing Game: Student Testimonials

Since 2003, the Outsourcing Game has been played by more than 1000 people in North America, Asia, and Europe.

Feedback from Industry Practitioners

Feedback from Professors

Feedback from Students

“The Outsourcing Game provided a highly interactive and enjoyable avenue to tie together multiple outsourcing principles and theories discussed throughout the course. Rather than learning everything out of a textbook, this simulated exercise allowed our team to work through some of the real life challenges faced when considering outsourcing. Many of the takeaways have been easily transferable to my current job and have allowed me to approach various business cases with greater confidence.”
- David B., MBA student, currently a financial controls analyst in the aerospace and defense industry

“I truly enjoyed the real-world nature of the Outsourcing Game and particularly the opportunity to take part in multi-party negotiations related to supply chain issues. Any business student can appreciate the applicability to their career regardless of their area of concentration.”
- Juli B., MBA student, currently a marketing research senior analyst in the pet food industry

“The Outsourcing Game was a unique and interesting way to incorporate many of the components of outsourcing into an interactive format. The game provided an opportunity to evaluate and negotiate with potential outsourcing partners, while adhering to our given time constraints. Much like real life negotiations, we had to accomplish as much as possible during each meeting. We quickly were able to determine who we did and, more importantly, did not want to partner with for the long-term success of our company.”
- Nicole B., MBA student, currently a marketing manger at a global financial services company

“I really liked the game and thought it was a fun and valuable learning tool. I found it to be engaging and thought-provoking. It did a great job of reinforcing key points from class.”
- Chris C., MBA student

“I loved the Outsourcing Game. It was fast-paced and engaging, and was definitely a highlight of the class. Not only did it help cement in my mind the concepts we’d been discussing, but it also brought to light many new ideas and questions. As we played, I found myself thinking how perfectly it explained scenarios I’d encountered in the past. Throughout my current internship, I’ve reflected on the game many times and have applied the ideas and principles. I highly recommend it, and would jump at the chance to participate again. If you really want to know what outsourcing is all about...play the Outsourcing Game.”
- Dave H., MBA student

“I thought the game was a lot of fun! Personally, I learn the best when I’m actively participating and problem solving. It was a fantastic way to put our skills to the test, and see how a real-life outsourcing situation can work. The game took what we were learning and made it ‘real.’ Rather than just talking and reading about the ‘power’ of information, we got to see how having various amounts of useful information can change the behavior of the players. Everyone I spoke with afterwards said that they wished more teachers did activities like this. Even though we’re adults, it's still fun to play games, and hands-on-learning is definitely a great change of pace!”
- Jamie K., undergraduate business student

“I really got a lot out of the Outsourcing Game. It was a valuable, hands-on way to tie many of the lecture themes and lessons together in a way to actually practice and demonstrate their application – many of the concepts and theories simply ‘just clicked.’”
- Jered K., MBA student

“The game was both enjoyable and useful. Any opportunity to let business students compete against each other is like giving sugar to 10 year olds.”
- J. L., MBA student, currently a software engineer in the medical device industry

“The Outsourcing Game provided me additional insights into supply-chain management and the struggle between developing lasting relationships and the power that many of us hadn’t yet experienced in the corporate world. The two-round approach allowed our group to re-evaluate our position; to really learn and take away from our first experience, and appreciate the value that relationships, aligned incentives, and open-communication can bring to the table. This engaging experience will serve as a reminder in future situations for years to come.”
- Ross R., MBA student, currently a software engineer in the aerospace and defense industry

“The game demonstrates the importance of fostering good working relationships with supply chain partners to achieve desired goals. The game was fun, challenging and enjoyable, and enabled me to fully understand the dynamics of outsourcing the supply chain.”
- Traci S., MBA student, currently a sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry

“The Outsourcing Game was a good introduction to the complexity that the outsourcing process demands. Although we played for several hours, the time actually ended up flying by. Most notable was the sheer communication and behavioral implications of the game. One team that we were negotiating with had a lead representative who we just didn't trust. In retrospect, they were being open and honest but we didn't partner with them simply because we were unsure of their true motives based just on one representative.”
- Ann T., MBA student, currently a sales representative in the healthcare diagnostics industry

“The Outsourcing Game seems like a simple simulation at first. But as it unfolds, you see how complicated and diverse outsourcing situations like this can get. Not only do each team's internal motivations rule the game - but also their relationships with other players and teams. Open communication is key, and only when you reach an agreement that has mutual benefit does any team truly win. I was surprised how much this exercise mirrored real life and used knowledge from other courses - strategy, finance and even a little psychology. If you really want to succeed, you can't be concerned only with your own incentives and goals, you must consider what aligns you best with other teams and how to create value overall.”
- Kelly W., MBA student, currently a financial accountant in the aerospace and defense industry

“The Outsourcing Game was very enjoyable. From a class perspective, it was fun getting to know and work with everyone in the class. It’s not always easy to do that in electives. Also, weekend classes can often get long and monotonous, but I felt like the game really broke the class up and made the day fly by.”
- Luke W., MBA student, currently a design engineer at a public utility company

Anonymous MBA Student Feedback from Survey Forms

“Nothing illustrated hidden actions and hidden information quite like the Outsourcing Game. In this simulation, my team lied and connived our way to the best profit turnaround of any group. … [Unfortunately], I doubt that many would want to do business with us in the future.”

“I really enjoyed this lecture and game... It was very relevant and matched real life. I thought it was great!”

“Fun and engaging simulation. Interesting perspectives and points of view. Extremely helpful to see how easily things can go wrong.”

“OUTSTANDING. Excellent learning experience, provides understanding you may not otherwise achieve. Beautifully demonstrates misaligned incentives, difficulty negotiating with incomplete info, and the perils of human nature. This should definitely be a fixture of the course.”

“Excellent Simulation! It really helped open my eyes to the supply chain impacts that can arise between companies. The game provided insight into how incentives play a key role in the outcome.”

“This was fabulous. Well worth the extra minutes!!”

“Excellent simulation. Good examples of hidden actions/hidden information. Strongly recommend using this example again.”

“Very important exercise for the class.”

“Very dynamic exercise that chimes well with the class concepts in a real-life-like setting. This is a must have!”

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