Mini Project 3: Quantum Leap, Creative Heap

ManageCraft

Chan Sung(Jason) Kang

260213389

StarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game created by Blizzard Entertainment. In the world of StarCraft, which has attracted nine million of people, there are three main species: the Terrans, humans exiled from Earth; the Zerg, a race of insectoids obsessed with assimilating other races in pursuit of genetic perfection; and the Protoss, a humanoid species with advanced technology and psionic abilities attempting to preserve their civilization from the Zerg. Each of species is fighting for its own dominance in a distant part of the Milky Way galaxy.

However, the game is not just about crashing, demolition, and destruction of enemies, but rather how to win against others with creative strategy. The game actually requires one’s organizational strategy, operational strategy, better understanding of each individual unit’s capability, and skill for collecting information about competitors.

The player of Terrans, who will be the role of CEO in the world of StarCraft, will begin with Command Center and few Space Construction Vehicles, which is often called SCV. In order to launch a business, first of all, he has to collect resources, minerals and gas, with the support of SVC. Without resources, he cannot recruit battle units to protect your area, cannot expand your area to the farthest, or cannot invest on assets later.

The next prior thing to do is to build basic buildings required for approaching war like Supply Depot, Barracks, or Academy. Like business, without sufficient working space, facilities, supplies, and equipment, one wouldn’t be able to hire any of employees or initiate business. When the player is set with adequate working facilities and supplies, it’s time for recruiting employees for his business: marines, Firebats, Vultures, and Siege Tanks. While recruiting units for your battle, the player must consider how many he will need. It might sound the more is, the better. However, one has to take account of how many resources he possesses. Furthermore, he has to take into consideration of each individual unit’s unique strength before hiring. Marine takes less cost to recruit, but their power is the weakest. Battle tanks, like Vulture or Siege Tank, will cost a lot, but they are pretty invulnerable for any attacks from enemy. Each individual has merits and demerits to be taken into account. In the business of the reality, the CEOs must also undergo proper consideration before hiring anyone. What is his major? In which faculty would he be suitable to work? Without enough information about its employees, the company won’t operate properly. Thus, under the best consideration of resources and what kind of units is needed for battle, the player has to recruit only pertinent needed ones after acquiring better understanding of individuals.

After complete setting of resources, buildings, working spaces, supplies, and employees, the third step to take action will be to collect information about the competitors. The player begins the game with not only Command Center and few Space Construction Vehicles, but also a mini map which only reveals the player’s area. The almost all parts of the map are covered by black fog; the player won’t be able to know who is playing out there or how many competitors he has. Thus, the player can collect the information about enemies by sending a spy unit to the black foggy area. In reality, the most of companies need to know about their competitors. It doesn’t mean that they have to send an industrial spy, which will be an illegal action; instead, they can perform market search and customer surveys to check the competitors’ product’s quality and service’s excellence. Without knowing about your enemies, you won’t be able to design and construct an effective organizational strategy for your company, ending up with wasting resources the company owns or losing the battle.

After the inspection about your competitors, the player needs to re-design his armies. Dose he need more soldiers or more supplies? Is it time for an expansion of the working area or build a completely new one in new area like chain stores? Again, one has to take a deep account of the resources he possesses before constructing new organizational strategy to apply.

The final step of winning the battle is, of course, to take a step to the field, the market, and face with your competitors, but not only that, you have to invest your excessive resources for the future. The player won’t be certain whether he will take the sweet victory or face the bitter failure in the first engage since there is no experience of battling. In prevention of losing further engage, the player has to invest his resources into more soldiers or more equipment. However, the most invest-worthy is technology. In the world of StarCraft, the player can strengthen his team by upgrade; Machine Shops will support the team by developing weapons for tanks, and Control Tower will provide the player with the technology of Cloaking Field, which will allow the team members hidden in the dark. In reality business, without continuous development of technology, companies cannot keep up the face with the ceaselessly growing community. Today’s companies have to continuously upgrade their technology otherwise they will lose customers to their competitors who are seeking for better quality, better service, and convenience.

However, the story doesn’t end here. The player shouldn’t ignore the importance of Medic. Whenever the team units are wounded, she would be able to cure them. Whenever a group is sent for a mission, a Medic is marching in the centre of team, making the group compact and unbeatable. In reality, the companies need Medics; instead, Tom Kelley, in his book “The Ten Faces of Innovation,” names them as the Collaborator and the Caregiver. For 21st century, we need people with the role of collaborator or caregiver, who can bring eclectic groups together, create new combinations and multidisciplinary solutions, and look after customers and their colleagues. Working individually would only cost more money and more time with only satisfactory result; however, when you gather each individuals together and blend them into a multidisciplinary team, it will bring not only boost in effectiveness, but also further innovative thinking and ideas. Thus, in 21st century, the role of collaborators and caregivers, who is responsible for assemble each member compact, will be crucial.

For near future, business is not just making profits. It is about satisfying customers and satisfying each employee in the company. It should boost everyone’s life standard better than any other competitors. In order to do that, knowledge about company itself, employees in it, and competitors is essential. You cannot win the battle if you are just recruiting more units, by doubling number of employees or products, than other competitors. Right investment, sufficient supplies and equipment, better understanding of enemies, and adequate organizational strategy will offer you the taste of victory, which is impossible without information.