In early August the WC Branch kicked off the first local version of the MERIT competition. MERIT is a construction simulation game in which teams of up to 6 people work together to make decisions as managers of a fictitious construction company. The aim is to maximise ten performance indicators, providing a very realistic experience of the types of decisions that a manager must make in order to balance the needs of stakeholders and maintain profitability. It is a great way for young professionals to learn about the intricacies involved in running a business, how to strategise and plan for the future, and how to work in teams and make decisions collaboratively.
Eight teams representing BVi Consulting Engineers, Aurecon, Mott MacDonald, SMART Civils, JG Afrika, iX Engineers and WSP have spent the last 8 weeks battling out the first rounds of the competition known as the “Early Years”. During this phase individual teams compete against the simulations and strategies embedded in the software, making decisions once a week in a simulation which covers 2 years of their company’s operations.
After the first week BullDozer Construction and deCOnstruction (both from BVi) took the lead, followed very closely by FD West Construction (Aurecon). But after the second round the gaps widened with big improvements from JG Construction (JG Afrika) and Mix and Match Construction (small mixed team from Mott MacDonald and Smart Civils). BullDozer Construction has maintained their lead throughout, with deCOnstruction moving back up to 2nd place for the 3rd and 4th rounds. Mix and Match leapt to 2nd in the 5th round and battled it out with deCOnstruction and JG Construction, with only 10 points separating the three teams after the 7th round.
The results from the penultimate round of the Early Years are shown below. The top six teams will now compete in the finals taking place at Aurecon (in Century City) on 10 October 2019. The finals are a real test as teams compete directly against one another for projects and resources, providing a more realistic and challenging experience. Great prizes are up for grabs for the winning teams as well as the obvious bragging rights of being crowned MERIT champion.
If you would like to know more about the MERIT game and how you or your company can get involved in next year’s competition, please email alice.chang@aurecongroup.com or Catherine.blersch@gmail.com. You are also welcome to pop by on 10 October to see the game in action and chat to us in person!
