New Technology for a New Century
International Conference 
FIG Working Week 2001, Seoul, Korea 6–11 May 2001

Abstracts

Key words: Business management, practice management, IT simulations, profitability.

The paper focuses on the importance of management development for senior personnel in surveying organisations. The paper introduces a set of Practice Management Guidelines which have been developed for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). In addition, the paper introduces the application of a novel computer based business simulation to assist senior managers, in a number of surveying practices, to better understand the factors which influence the commercial success of their businesses.

The software enables senior managers to experiment and test out a range of alternative commercial scenarios by modelling the financial (and other) consequences of their decisions. The paper outlines the design of the model and also illustrates how the simulation has been used to help senior managers. In particular, the paper examines, using a number of case studies, how the simulation has been of benefit in a number of alternative formats including;

• As a brief introduction to the financial management of a surveying firm
• As a means of illustrating, using a fictitious firm, the inter-relationships which exist between the variables which can be changed by a senior manager
• As a basis for a more strategic review of the impact of a number of decisions on a firms real performance, in this case using a model which replicates the structure and financial characteristics of the real firm
• In a distance learning basis where the software can be accessed over the internet and the impact of decisions assessed, and
• As part of an accredited post-graduate award in the management of professional practices.

The paper concludes by emphasising the growing need for senior managers in surveying practices, and increasingly, in government departments, to develop their skills in commercial leadership.

CONTACT

Dr Tom Kennie and Chris Ward
Ranmore Consulting Group/Sheffield Hallam University
Ranmore Consulting Group
Ranmore Manor
Ranmore
Nr Dorking
Surrey RH5 6SX
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel. and fax. + 44 1483 283 040
Email: tkennie@ranmore.co.uk 
Web site: www.ranmore.co.uk

23 March 2001

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