Simulation Case Study

WORLDSustain

BACKGROUND
WORLDSustain, a socially conscious technology company, emerged as a pioneer in
revolutionizing CAD software solutions for businesses across various industries. Founded in
2016, the company quickly gained traction by providing cutting-edge CAD software equipped
with advanced features and artificial intelligence technology. Their mission goes beyond mere
profit-making; they aim to transform the way businesses design and innovate globally.
WORLDSustain unique approach involves not only selling products but also donating software
licenses and providing training to businesses in underserved regions, fostering collaboration
between recipient and purchaser businesses.
Driven by a vision to revolutionise the design industry, WORLDSustain focuses not only on
delivering cutting-edge software but also on fostering social impact and sustainable practices.
Their flagship CAD software, "Design Pro," incorporates state-of-the-art features and artificial
intelligence technology, empowering businesses to streamline design workflows, enhance
collaboration, and drive innovation.
With a mission to democratize access to advanced design tools, WORLDSustain implements a
unique business model that combines sales with social responsibility. In addition to selling
software licenses to businesses, the company donates software packages and provides
training to organizations in underserved regions. This initiative not only promotes global
collaboration but also helps bridge the digital divide by ensuring that businesses worldwide
have access to the tools they need to thrive.
WORLDSustain commitment to social impact extends beyond software donations. For every
software package sold, the company pledges to donate and train a business in a
disadvantaged community, fostering collaboration between donor and recipient organisations.
This collaborative approach not only enriches the learning experience for both parties but also
contributes to sustainable development and knowledge sharing on a global scale.
By the end of 2019, WORLDSustain had made significant progress, selling over 35,000
software licenses to more than 550 businesses in 23 countries. Revenue streams from
hardware sales, software subscriptions, and consulting services fueled the company's growth,
positioning it as a key player in the CAD software market.

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However, the beginning of 2020 brought unforeseen challenges with the outbreak of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Despite disruptions to the global supply chain and the transition to
remote work for businesses worldwide, WORLDSustain remained resilient. The pandemic not
only accelerated the adoption of remote work but also highlighted the importance of agile and
adaptable software solutions. As businesses faced unprecedented challenges,
WORLDSustain rose to the occasion, providing support, innovation, and strategic guidance to
navigate through uncertain times. WORLDSustain is committed to driving positive change
through technology, fostering collaboration, and empowering businesses to thrive.
WORLDSustain remains steadfast in its mission to revolutionise the design industry and create
a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.

WORLDSUSTAIN STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL PLAN

2024 – 2026
Executive Summary
Established in 2016, WORLDSustain is a socially conscious technology company specialising
in the development of advanced Computer Assisted Design (CAD) software solutions for
businesses. Beyond merely providing hardware, our focus extends to creating comprehensive
software, content, and activities designed to enhance the productivity and creativity of
businesses utilising CAD technology. WORLDSustain mission is to revolutionise the design
industry by integrating artificial intelligence technology into CAD software, thereby optimising
the learning experience for businesses and individuals. With a vision of fostering global
collaboration and knowledge exchange, we are committed to ensuring that every business,
regardless of location or resources, has access to cutting-edge CAD technology. For every
software license purchased, we donate and train a business in an underserved region,
fostering global collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Vision Statement
To envision a world where businesses worldwide have access to cutting-edge CAD
technology.

Mission Statement
To be the change and facilitate a world without illiteracy by changing the way children learn at
school and the number of businesses that have access to technology.

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Our values are:

Core values underpinning our activities are:
• Ethical principles
• Innovation
• Collaboration.

Strategic Priorities
1. To establish strong leadership, high performance, profitability, and accountability.
2. To align financial operations, performance indicators, and results with strategic policies.
3. To identify and develop new revenue sources and expand support for businesses in need.
4. To achieve a minimum annual profit margin of 10%.

Increase our reach

• Increase range of products and services offered to reach a larger target market
• Increase sales to increase donations.

Continue building deeper customer relationships

• Customer-centred practice, with a focus on meeting their total needs for high-quality
technology
• Strengthen the skills of our people, to better support customers
• Have an effective help desk function to meet customer needs
• Strengthen the effectiveness of internal customers through provision of effective systems
within each team
• Drive innovation to better meet customer demands.

Attract, engage and develop the best staff

• Continuing the drive to a customer centred, high-performance workforce and culture
• Strengthening the skills of our people, to better support customer needs
• Empowering innovation and responsiveness to change
• Continuing to enhance the diversity of our workforce
• Exploring the use of technology in human resources.

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Our organisation structure

Senior Management consisting of the CEO and General Manager heads up the overall
organisation.
The company consists of key teams as follows:
• Sales Team consisting of the Sales Manager and 3 x Sales Representatives
• Operations Team consisting of the Operations Manager, Administration Officer, and
Accounts Officer.
• IT Team consisting of the IT Manager, IT Support Officer, and Help Desk Officer.

Each team develops its own performance plan each year for the upcoming 12 months. Each
team is expected to:
• Set its overall objectives to align with its key function and our strategic directions.
• Define overall responsibilities according to the function within the company.
• Set outcomes.

The Market

The CAD software market is dynamic and rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in
technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). Cybersecurity is an
increasingly critical concern in this landscape. The global pandemic has posed challenges to
the industry, impacting the supply of hardware components. However, the shift towards remote
work has led to increased demand for CAD software, mitigating the downturn in consumer
spending. As more businesses embrace remote work, the appetite for CAD solutions, including
WORLDSustain's offerings, continues to grow.

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SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
• Value and quality • Brand name not
• Strong management developed as well it
• Customer loyalty could be
• Friendly organisational • Growing organisation
culture
• Level of available
finance for investment

SWOT
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
• Opportunities for • Failing to satisfy clients
synergies across all demands
services and products • High level of
• Businesses needing to competition
upgrade technology
• Opportunities to offer a • Economic downturn
range of services meaning less spent
generally

Marketing Strategies
Our marketing strategies aim to:
• Build our brand
• Generate leads now
• Convert those leads quickly
• Have every part of the business supporting each other

We plan to develop our market share by:

• Improving our marketing and advertising
• Continually improving the quality of service given to clients
• Maintaining effective communication channels with all stakeholders to ascertain industry
requirements and then develop products and manage services accordingly
• Continually improving communication channels with all our stakeholders, ensuring a flow
of timely and accurate information to facilitate effective planning and decision making
• Targeting identified growth markets with planned, market appropriate campaigns
employing a variety of promotional strategies and advertising mediums
• Offering attractive fee structures to our clients

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• Continually improving the skills, knowledge and effectiveness of our team through our
commitment to training and development
• Regularly reviewing the effectiveness of all our operations and making improvements
when and where necessary

Collaboration
As a company we focus on collaboration both within and outside of the company. Currently our
external partners are:
• Lion Marketing – our marketing agency
• IT Biz Solutions – Internet Service Provider and web hosting.
• Oz Aid – informs of us projects in need.

Key projects
The following key projects will commence in 2024:
Due to global economic conditions, a wait and watch attitude is being adopted while we
brainstorm and provide cost estimates for future business models. Options include establishing
a second operations facility (estimated cost $5 million), outsourcing to a third party (lost margin
of $200 per unit sold or $2 million per year assuming 10 000 units are sold), developing a
cloud based solution where customers can access the software remotely on their own devices
(estimated cost of $2 million), purchasing off the shelf (lost margin of $300 per unit sold or $3
million per year) or repurposing older CAD versions ($100 per unit sold or $1 million).

Operational Plan (focus on 2024)

As an introduction to the Operational Plan, it is important to understand the following
information.

Supply chain background

WorldSUSTAIN has a complex supply chain that begins when a sale is made, usually via a
sales representative or through an online inquiry that is handled by the sales team. Sales are
recorded in an internal Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP System) which notifies the
operations team that an order needs to be delivered. The operations team verify the sales
order and authorise the delivery of a request to the project team in Sydney. The project team in
Sydney notes the order specifications and delivery details and incorporates this within its
production schedule. The order is taken, and the operations team arrange shipping directly to
the customer.

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Operational alternatives
Innovative business models have been brainstormed by senior management and include
establishing a second manufacturing facility (estimated cost $5 million), outsourcing
manufacturing to a third party (lost margin of $200 per unit sold or $2 million per year
assuming 10 000 units are sold), developing a cloud based solution where customers can
access the software remotely on their own devices (estimated cost of $2 million), purchasing
off the shelf tablets (lost margin of $300 per unit sold or $3 million per year) or repurposing
used tablets ($100 per unit sold or $1 million).

Operational Activities
Recently a decision has been made to start working on a cloud-based solution but continuing
with the existing business model.
Operational activities for 2024 are indicated. Responsibility for each area is to be determined
based on staff members’ skill sets or potential.

Operational Activities When Who

New activities
Finalisation of proposal for cloud-based solution Mid 2024 To be allocated
Research into cloud-based solution Mid to end 2024 To be allocated
Finalisation of cloud-based solution January 2025 To be allocated
Develop promotional and demonstrative video for sales Early 2025 To be allocated
staff
Education
Prepare paper for Global Sustainability Conference January 2024 To be allocated
Submit paper for Global Sustainability Conference February 2024 To be allocated
Present paper at Global Sustainability Conference January 2024 To be allocated
Implement new Professional Development system – all 2024 To be allocated
staff to identify two PD events of their choice
Events
Identify suitable events for 2024, including sustainable January 2024 To be allocated
opportunities e.g., virtual events
Organise attendance at events, including setting up a January 2024 To be allocated
stand
Ongoing activities – focus on 2024
Increase the number of customers by 10% 2024 To be allocated
Implement process automation for financial processes 2024 To be allocated
Implement a CRM system to integrate with ERP 2024 To be allocated
Focus on increasing service satisfaction through help 2024 To be allocated
desk support

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Operational Activities When Who

Identify and implement a continuous improvement 2024 To be allocated
system
Review all policies and procedures and update as 2024 To be allocated
required – particularly need to focus on formal
continuous improvement and innovation systems and
processes as this is lacking and so needed in our
organisation.

CEO General Manager

Lucas Lopez Irene Green

Sales Manager IT Manager Operations Manager

Jade Somers Hal Hyland Albert Biden

Sales Representative IT Support Officer Accounts Officer

Jay Santos Helen Hunt Alicia De Souza

Sales Representative Help Desk Officer Administration Officer

Jane Stone Hayley Hill Alan Ibrahim

Sales Representive
Jala Singh

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Our people
Our people skills are as follows:
CEO: Lucas Lopez
General Manager: Irene Green
Sales Manager: Jade Somers
Sales Representative: Jay
Santos
Sales Representative: Jane
Stone
Sales Representative: Jala
Singh
IT Manager: Hal Hyland
IT Support Officer: Helen Hunt
Founder of the company, leveraging a passion
for social entrepreneurship to establish multiple
ventures. Bringing over a decade of hands-on
experience as a dedicated volunteer in Africa,
deeply committed to making a positive impact
through business and community development.
Experienced systems engineer with a strong
commitment to social responsibility. Actively
engaged as a board member for two NGOs,
leveraging technical expertise to drive positive
change in the community.
Strong sales history having worked in sales roles
for the last 15 years. Loves to inspire the sales
team to do their best. Always interested in
learning and improving skills. Goal for this year is
to increase the sales team.
Has been with the company for six months. Jay
speaks several languages which assists with
communicating with customers in a range of
companies.
New to sales but loves technology. Wants to do
more sales training to make sure she can used
tried and tested sales methods.
Has been in sales for 10 years, also within the
ICT industry. Loves talking to people and has
shown himself to be an engaging public speaker
at various staff events. Could move more into
this promotional/public relations role.
Joined the company recently. Has been in the IT
industry for 10 years. Interested in cloud
technology. Currently studying a Masters of IT
part-time.
Strong experience in IT support for the last 5
years. Good with customers and solving
problems. Currently studying a Bachelor of IT
part-time. Interested in cloud technology and the
power of technology to host virtual events.
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Help Desk Officer: Hayley Hill
Operations Manager: Albert
Biden
Accounts Officer: Alicia De
Souza
Administration Officer: Alan
Ibrahim
Recently joined the company. Has an IT
background, as well as customer service
background. Always puts the customer first.
Somewhat frustrated by the rather inefficient
systems in place for help desk support.
Highly efficient in organising and scheduling. His
background in as a high-level public servant.
Alicia is a trainee also studying accounts
administration. She is an excellent team player
and already bringing insights to the role.
Highly efficient in organising and scheduling. Has
a good eye for systems and procedures. A great
team player. Studying for a Diploma of Business
Administration in his spare time.

Internal Communication Policy and Procedures

WORLDSustain aims to enhance and streamline communications to reinforce the vision and
strategic priorities and to manage change across the organisation. As such, we will continue to
develop and trial new communication platforms, channels, and tools to improve information
sharing and collaboration between all staff members.
This policy is to be implemented in a way that ensures compliance with relevant legislative
requirements and standards of best practice.
WORLDSustain expects that staff will use the channels and for business purposes only and
comply with all relevant policies and procedures.

Communication channels
WORLDSustain has several internal communication channels available for communication,
approvals, project management, change management and knowledge management, including:
Channel Purpose
Team meetings An executive team meeting should take place once a week
where any organisation-wide or inter-departmental issues are
discussed, and approvals granted where applicable.
Departmental team meetings should take place once a week
to discuss issues specific to the department or team. Senior
managers can provide approvals (within the boundaries of
their role) for their team.

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Channel Purpose
Project team meetings should be help at regular intervals
depending on the project details. Project team leader can
provide approvals for decisions within the scope of their role.
Staff bulletin This contains Information from the executive to staff which is
important and relevant to their interests, including training,
employment vacancies and important announcements.
Contributions for the Staff Bulletin must be approved in
advance by the contributor’s relevant manager before being
sent to the communications officer for review and inclusion.
Staff surveys These are used to gather information and feedback from all
staff members. Surveys should be sent by relevant managers
to staff via email link.
WORLDSustain The intranet provides important information for staff in an
intranet easily accessible location.
The intranet is to be used for conveying information which is
important and relevant from the executive team to staff. It is
the responsibility of the person contributing the content to
ensure the content is factually correct. All contributions must
be approved in advance by the contributor’s relevant manager.
Enterprise social These may be used by groups of staff to collaborate and
networks communicate on projects online (e.g., to share and comment
on work-related ideas, news and activities). Personal use of
these platforms may not be used during work hours. Use of
these networks must comply with the Social Media Policy.
All Staff emails Emails are used for messages to and between staff. Staff are
required to read all their work-related emails. Verbal approvals
should be confirmed via email.
Email distribution Email distribution lists may only be used by the executive team
lists and should adhere to the Privacy policy.

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2023 PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

Sales
WORLDSustain started with a huge sale to a school in Portugal. Although it was a great start,
the context for the rest of the quarter was highly uncertain due to COVID-19. The drastic
increase in the number of customers is great news for sales, but we do not have a dedicated
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system in place. It is estimated the ongoing costs
for such a system are around $12.50 per user and will help maintain and personalise customer
service.
2023 2022
Number of customers 186 254

Operations
Surprisingly the pandemic brought hundreds of new leads and that led to an unprecedented
growth that brought alongside dozens of operation and production problems.
The factory in Hong Kong closed for 1 month due to government restrictions limiting supply
and the sales team was overwhelmed with sale meetings over ZOOM (as opposed to face-to-
face meetings with customers). Sales have requested that an animated video be made to
demonstrate the product, rather than them having to try and do it via Zoom. The Sales
Manager has estimated that such a video will cost $5,000 to develop (and can be developed in
house).
The tech-support team had to re-adapt the software on an ongoing basis to accommodate
remote learning for many of the schools. Simple software errors due to the variation between
the requirements of different schools has resulted in several customer complaints.

Logistics
Since COVID-19 and the closure of the factory due to government restrictions, of the 2000
tablets due to be shipped by April 21, only 500 were completed on schedule. For the
remainder of the year, shipments were delayed on average by 3 weeks. The team estimate the
continued shipment delays will cost the business $45,000 per year.

Staff
There has been no movement in staff numbers. Administration staff are overworked due to the
increased demand and have requested that a dedicated financial team is established.
Recruitment costs average at $20,000 per employee, but the costs of replacing lost knowledge

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and experience due to staff resigning is $25,000 per employee. It has also been suggested
that the automation of financial processes will ease the workload (Robotic Process Automation
costs around $40,000 to introduce).

Financial
2023 $
Revenue 5,000,000
Expenses 4,500,000

Staff survey comments

A survey of staff regarding the processes associated with the continuous improvement and
innovation process implementation. The comments are outlined below.
Experience of the continuous improvement process
- Personally, I feel a mix of emotions towards the continuous improvement process. While
I find excitement in embracing its challenges, there are moments when I feel unsettled
and even disillusioned, questioning the organization's honesty in implementing these
changes.
- Sometimes it makes you feel unsettled, so I experience a bit of anxiety.
- At times, I experience anxiety, fearing that the continuous improvement system might
be a way for management to scrutinize us more closely.
- While there is an attempt to communicate by management and to be as open as
possible, I still have a fear of the unknown.
- If I had to pick on one emotion, it’s probably “disillusionment” because at the end of the
day, I don’t believe the organisation is being honest with us when it comes to change.
I’m scared this continuous improvement system is just an attempt to scrutinise use more
closely.
- I actually love and look forward to the challenges of continuous improvement and
innovation. That’s what keeps me vibrant and keeps me interested. So I embrace this
with excitement.
- Change is good. I don’t think I have any reservations so the way I feel about these
changes is that I accept it. I am motivated by it.
- Personally, I get to experience the opportunity to have an impact on an improved way of
operating in the organisation.
- I experienced a lot of different things. I am not sure whether it is disappointment or
excitement.
- I guess it’s more a wait and see approach will lead to a bit of unease and nervousness.
Not sure about some of the ideas, could create divisions within the organisation.

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- I think that some people go through varying emotions when they experience change.
For me, I am not sure. I don’t know if it has affected me or not at this stage.

Resistance to change and new processes

- I've observed that some employees resist change when they perceive a lack of
understanding or clarity about the reasons behind it.
- Personally, I adopt a proactive approach towards change and new processes.
- I believe that there is a need for greater clarity and transparency in the continuous
improvement process.
- I guess I personally haven’t resisted change. There’s no point in resisting change
because it is inevitable. The best thing is to try and understand what it is all about and
put yourself in the best position to achieve whatever needs to be done.
- No. I don’t resist change practices because I often do not see the point, particularly in
restructures. Management will do whatever they want to do and you just go along with
whatever it is they want you to do. I often don’t think there’s necessarily any point in
resisting change.
- I think they employees resist if they don’t understand why we are doing it, that is,
change and change management. I think if they understand what we want to achieve,
then ‘yes’, they will not resist change and change management. If they don’t
understand, then there’s going to be resistance. Why will they want to change if they
don’t understand what we are trying to achieve?
- No, I do not resist change if the change is meaningful and if I understand the purpose
for the change. I have had a lot of change in my life and I always like to see the positive
in things and see things as a challenge. Likewise, I see change in this organisation as a
challenge.
- Well, no. No, I don’t resist change. I said earlier that change is part of the workforce. It
has to be. Different strategies are needed so change is with us. I don’t resist it.

Communication
- I have to say that communication is pretty good. I mean they don’t hide things from you.
- There needs to be more ways of communicating with staff than meetings and
newsletters.
- I feel that there is a lack of active feedback-seeking from management regarding the
continuous improvement process.
- I believe that there is a need for greater clarity and transparency in the continuous
improvement process.
- I feel that there is good communication within the group
- There needs to be an open line of communication from top to bottom. We get more
information from rumours than we do from bosses and that is something that is sad and
not healthy. You need to give employees a general overview of what is happening.

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- I don’t think that all information is presented in an open manner. Quite often one gets
the feeling that some decisions already made are being sold to you. So, I don’t think this
organisation fosters open expression or opinions if your viewpoints happen to differ from
those being presented to you.
- I cannot stress how important communication is and my experience has been that when
you are not communicated truthfully then you do not trust. If your communication
channels are open and honest, change is an easy thing.
- I believe the company does try to be seen to be providing as much communication as it
can. There are regular staff meetings. I suppose there is a good flow of communication
but whether we can expect what is being told is correct, is true, I am not sure.
- Communication needs to be timely. Often people with my experience are very aware of
changes that are going on a long time before it is formally articulated which leads to a
lot of rumours, and misinformation. So timely communication is a fundamental sort of
thing.
- I think communication can be improved. I have said earlier that there are board,
executive and leadership meetings but I am not sure to how well the outcomes of these
meetings are communicated throughout the organisation. So perhaps the only
weakness that I see in this organisation in terms of change management would be
overall communication and consultation. There are pockets of people who do change
management very well but I’m not sure that it cascades right down to the bottom levels.
People usually hear about the change after the event.
- They give us information so that they are hoping we’ll make the opinions they want us to
make based on the information they provide. They don’t actively seek any feedback
from us. I don’t believe they want feedback.

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