SAP has introduced games-based training for the African market to drive adoption of business strategies and increase employees’ business skills.
Announcing the move, SAP Education Director for South Africa, Johann Pretorius, said the development was initiated by SAP Education in Pretoria.
The move will bring the fun of games-based training to enterprises under SAP ERP Simulation Game.
The latest games-based training was initially launched in Paris, France, and is now available to customers in South Africa and other countries on the continent.
“One of the biggest challenges to companies that run SAP software is to gain 100% buy-in from staff, on top of which they have to gain the necessary skills and proper understanding of how and why to use the system correctly,” said Pretorius.
“The simulation game has won wide acclaim for achieving these goals through a fun, interactive and informative process,” he added.
The game is played between colleagues, with members split into teams of between four and six players who then compete on a live SAP ERP system to manage a mock company.
The game, which can be played over 6 – 12 months, involves the full lifecycle of a business, with each of the players assigned a role to fulfill.
The game has been designed such that it cuts across all levels of an organisation, from executive management all the way to end users, including new employees.
“The end goal is to drive awareness and understanding, promote cross-team integration, increase adoption and deliver real improvements in productivity.
“Results from some of the early pilot programmes have already shown considerable improvement in user acceptance and adoption, a better understanding of the integrated nature of SAP and increased knowledge of navigation and operation,” said Pretorius.
It is generally believed that game-based learning can significantly accelerate the transfer and application of knowledge and that by 2011 gaming will emerge as a critical component in majority of corporate learning solutions.
TINTSWALO BALOYI
