This document discusses the use of business wargaming to develop strategic plans. It notes that traditional strategic planning tools are no longer sufficient due to accelerated global competition. Wargaming allows companies to put themselves in competitors' shoes to shape winning strategies. The document outlines how wargaming works, including forming teams to represent market players, conducting rounds of simulated decision-making, and debriefing to identify strategic insights. It argues wargaming is efficient for testing strategies, launching new products/services, and protecting against threats due to the tailored simulations and experiential learning it provides participants.

1. Business
Put yourself in the shoes of the competitors
and shape your winning strategy
Wargame

2. BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC
WAR IS RAGING
A reorientation of certain US services
towards the capture of economic markets
following the collapse of the USSR.
A fierce competition in unified and global
markets.
A reorganization of value capture
A business acceleration with the internet
and digital platform players and a global
financial system system.
BECAUSE THE STRATEGY HAS CHANGED
ITS NATURE
The BCG and McKinsey matrix,, Porter 's
value chain and other traditional strategic
planning tools are no longer sufficient to
win in the accelerated global arena
Modern strategies must be agile, offensive,
pragmatic and multiple
BECAUSE CORPORATE BOARDROOMS ARE
THE WARROOMS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Members of Executive Boards are
increasingly aware of the art of warfare,
They follow the 36 stratagems and military
doctrines to win over their competitors
They have the mission to conquer markets
and are in charge of thousands of people
under their command.
Defeat is not an option..
BECAUSE THE RESULTS WILL SURPRISE
AND THRILL YOU
The identification of new opportunities
that have passed unnoticed so far
Predictions that will materialize in the 3 to
6 months following the wargame
A deep understanding of your competitors
and your eco-system
Why A Wargame ?

3. When To Run A Wargame?
TO STRESS TEST GLOBAL OR
LOCAL STRATEGIES
TO SIMULATE THE LAUNCH OF
A NEW PRODUCT OR SERVICE
TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST
NEW COMPETITORS
TO EVALUATE AND ANTICIPATE
CHANGES IN THE MARKET
TO SIMULATE AN IMPORTANT
CALL FOR TENDER
?
(some strategic questions that are
particularly suitable for a wargame)
• What market penetration strategy for a
Big Data player facing the GAFA threat?
• What strategic positioning in the
changing electric vehicle market?
• How to respond to the arrival of a digital
intermediary capturing a growing share
of value?
• What collaboration strategies in the IoT
market? Which business models to
develop?
• How to manage the strategic transition
from a hardware business to a software
business?
• …
TO INCAPACITATE YOUR
COMPETITORS

4. The deliberate curation of teams
representing the main players in
the market, each team has a clear
challenge to address and several
strategic objectives to achieve. A
realistic dynamic macro business
model will evolve as decisions are
made by the teams during the
game.
The succession of several rounds
that last about 45-60 minutes
each. The rounds are separated by
the presentation of the decisions
taken by the teams in plenary in
front of the ‘market voice’ (jury).
The members of the market voice
rely on rules known to all
competitors and their judgement
will decide the new starting point
for the next round.
The principles of the wargame concept are based on two important aspects:
1|
The starting point for the first round is carefully prepared through competitive analysis and market research. Unexpected events,
'accidents’, crisis and new opportunities are prepared according to the needs of the wargame and injected as of round 2 onwards.
Historical
competitor
Your
company
New threat to
the market
(e.g. GAFAs)
New market
entrant
Co-
opetitor
(competitor
& partner)
2|
Example of 5 teams of 3 to 5 members each :
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 conclusions
plenary plenary plenary
juryjuryjury
How to play a business wargame?

5. Our
approach
TAILOR-MADE EASY-TO-
USE STRATEGIC TOOLS
FOR EACH TEAM
Detailed company profiles to
document the starting point for
each team in the game via
newspaper articles, company-
internal newsletters, industry
research documents, competitive
analysis as well as psychological
profiles of the members of the
leadership team of each actor to
enhance the roleplaying character
of the game.
A METHOD WITH DIFFERENT
COMPLEMENTARY MOMENTS OF
TEAM REFLECTIONS AND SHARING
Plenary sessions, group reflections
and learning, progressive
application of strategic tools,
introduction of disruptive market
developments such as the
emergence of new competitors,
M&A activities, social movements, …
,

6. Working approach for the
realisation of a business wargame
• Facilitation of the wargame with a team of experienced facilitators
• Note taking to capture ideas and reflections (also the ones that have remained unexplored), to follow up on significant exchanges and
conversations
• Debriefing ad-hoc of the business wargame to identify key lessons, explore strategic options emerging through the game and identify
actions and priorities to put in place
2 |
3 |
Facilitation of the game
Debriefing and key learnings of the game
• Debriefing of the participants and sharing of the lessons learned from this strategic wargame experience
• Formalization of a detailed report in relation to the wargame
• Analysis of the strategic options and preparation of the next steps based on wargame results
1 |
Preparation of the game
• Interviews and desk research
• Selection of actors for the game (comptetitors, co-opetitors, new entrants, GAFAs, … and preparation of company and executive profiles
• Collection of information and insights about all competitors in the wargame (competitive intelligence)
• Scanning and documentation of the contextual environment (market, competitors, products, macroeconomics, ...)
• Definition of the teams, i.e. selection of executives to the different actors to be played in the wargame
• Preparation and briefing of each team: description of the game, expectations, roles, …
• Design of the wargame: construction of the detailed programme, preparation of strategy frameworks and templates, …

7. Introduction 60’
Plenary
War room 90’
30’
Round 1
Market
voice 15’
War room 60’
30’
Round 2
End of half-day 1
15’
War room 45’
30’Round 3
Market
voice
15’
War room 45’
30’Round 4
Conclusions
and learnings
60’
Plenary
Market
voice 15’
Plenary and
disruptive event
Plenary
Plenary
Example of a business wargame programme
1 s t d a y ( p m ) 2 n d d a y ( a m )

8. 5
3
2
1
Because the tools and game plan are
tailor-made to the purpose at hand
Because it’s a high-intensity learning
environment with role-playing increasing
creativity and strategic thinking
Because the shared feedback and learning
from the game allow for a more holistic and
strategic vision of the situation
Because its a human adventure, based on
the principals of experimental learning and
paradigm change
Why business
wargames
are so
efficient?
GO !
Because the participants are dedicated to
learn and grow together4

9. Reach out!
échangez & changez
youmeo
Martin Mayer
martin.mayer@youmeo.fr
06 28 19 55 83
Raphaël Beziz
Raphael.beziz@youmeo.fr
06 31 49 99 28