Workshop Overview

Apollo 13 – an ITSM Case Experience by GamingWorks is delivered by E2E ITSM Consulting Pty. Ltd. or E2E ITSM-C. It is one of the most dynamic and interactive workshops that enables learning by doing.  This simulation is based on real-life events experienced by NASA during its Apollo XIII mission to the moon in 1970.  organisations to translate theoretical learning into real life practices.  It is a great opportunity to allow silo-ed clusters of employees from the same organisation to work together as one team towards achieving specific, common and measurable objectives.  Based on real events, during the simulation, participants are provided with the mission objectives, and a set of paper-based assets and instructions to build the Apollo 13 rocket, which they will launch and support till its return to earth.  They must create processes to assist them effectively and efficiently support the successful operation of the mission. As in real life, things don’t always go according to plans, and change must be implemented and adjustments applied.  Throughout the rounds, mission critical success factors and KPIs are monitored, measured and service and process improvement initiatives are created and implemented.

In a nutshell, this game provides a fun-filled and interactive approach to designing, testing and implementing processes that we use in our day to day activities such as Incident, problem and change management and provides the simulated and safe environment to learn from one’s mistakes.

Workshop format

There are two versions of this workshop:

Full day: Participants go through all 4 rounds of the simulation during which they experience the full service lifecycle from strategy, to design, transition, operation and Continual Service Improvement (CSI).

Half day: Participants go through rounds 2 and 3 of the simulation during which they experience some components of service transition, service operation, and CSI.

It can be delivered as a stand-alone service offering or as part of a theoretical training (such as ITIL Foundation or ITIL Intermediate) or following one, to transform information learned into knowledge, and to increase the level of information retention.  Refer to our Business and ITSM Simulations page for more information.

For service management organisations that do not want to emphasize IT, the simulation could be adapted to represent the organisation setting and promote workshop objectives that need to be agreed to, prior to any workshop being held, with the workshop sponsor.

 What this workshop is NOT

Death by power point. Power point is used in around 10-15% of the workshop to introduce different aspects of the simulation, the rest is just hands-on doing things.

This is not a traditional workshop.  This simulation is intense intergroup coordination, working together each function has a piece of the puzzle that needs to fit with another. Participants have to work together to resolve incidents or issues using bits and piece around the room.  It’s very dynamic, fun-filled and stimulating.

Use Cases for Apollo 13 – an ITSM Case Experience workshop

If despite investing in ITIL and other related training you’re still experiencing the following:

• Your training budget ROI is not achieving its target
• Staff is still struggling to translate theory into practice
• Operation is still ineffective or inefficient
• Performance hasn’t improved
• Customers are still not happy with the organisation’s operation and/or processes
• Staff are still not following the processes
• Still experiencing fragmented service delivery
• Everyone is still not all on the same page
• Teams are still dysfunctional to certain extent
• Organisation is still operating in Silos rather than working together as one team

Or if your organisation is not IT focused, and would like to address the following issues:

• Promoting or improving inter-group coordination and interfaces
• Improving communication between teams
• Learning how to identify cracks in processes and how to fix them
• Breaking the silos mentality and working together as one team
• Teams are not always on the same page
• Teams are still dysfunctional to certain extent

Then we strongly recommend that you contact us to schedule a workshop.

Other Benefits Provided through the Workshop

• Assist you get started on your organisation’s CSI register
• Provide coaching during the day on how to design, transition or implement processes
• Help break the ice and build relationships amongst teams
• Provide an opportunity to appreciate each other’s challenges and become more supportive of each other
• Provide staff with a safe environment to experiment, make mistakes and try different approaches
• It is a great forum to listen to different people’s perspective on things within your own organisation
• Ensure all staff know why the organizations is ‘doing ITIL’ or why the organisation wants to achieve certain business/SM objectives and how each person contributes to delivering value, reducing costs or mitigating business risks

Enacting the collaboration of the end-to-end service lifecycle from identification of requirements, proper planning all the way to service system development and transition, and service delivery is an “A really eye opener” for many participants.

Who should attend

Service delivery organisations such as universities, schools, hospitals, all government departments, airlines, Mining, any organisation that is delivering a service could benefit from attending this workshop

Organisations delivering IT services and using ITSM processes (application and infrastructure),  shared services organisations, telecommunication companies, consulting organisations, project managers

 Day’s Outline

Introduction to the game

Introduction of the functions

Introduction of the Apollo 13 events

Introduction to the different rounds of the simulation

Round 1: Build and Launch

• Design Launch Readiness Service
• Design Maintain and Support Service
• Design Transition Checklist
• Prepare Launch

Round 2: Earth Orbit and Lunar Approach – Service Monitoring

• Transition of Launch Readiness
• Transition of Maintain and Support
• LAUNCH
• Support and provide crew communication and support (Service desk)
• Dealing with incidents and finding solutions (Incident and Problem management)
• Invoking emergency abort procedures as availability of critical systems signals an approaching disaster situation (Availability and Continuity)
• Achieve mission goals
• Execute Service Strategy

Round 3: Transearth Coast

• Continual Service Improvement
• Design Process / Service improvements
• Design Change Management
• Transfer improvements to operations
• Execute processes
• Prepare Crew for trajectory behind the Moon

Round 4: Re-entry and splashdown

• Continual Service Improvement
• Design Operational Tasks
• Transfer improvements to operations
• Execute processes
• Proactively working to prevent a major problem as carbon dioxide build-up threatens the astronauts’ safety (Capacity management, Problem management and Configuration management)
• Planning and executing a mid-course correction and fast engine burn to speed up the journey home. The PC+2 engine burn (Change management)
• Managing the critical level of capacity to power up the command module and ensure all critical systems are operating (Capacity management and Availability management)
• Prepare Crew for Splash Down

Interesting Facts about business Simulations

• There are around 700 simulation games delivered per year
• Countries and companies that use simulations the most as part of the learning experience to their constituents, are on top of their games
• Australia is not on the top of the list. Let’s change that and let’s lead the charge in Asia Pacific!

Simulations have been used for decades to perfect the capabilities of Astronauts, doctors, and pilots given that their performance would affects people’s lives.

If we use the same logic in a business context, we’ll find that nowadays, IT plays a crucial role for the performance of businesses.  The robustness of an organisation’s IT system (hardware, software, processes, and people) can make or break the business.  So, shouldn’t we have a change in mindset to ensure that our IT people who design, install, support the IT system on which our business is built, have the same proficiency as these pilots and doctors?

It is time to ensure that training offered to IT staff provide them with the same safe environment where they can experiment and acquire high levels of capabilities to support the business.  It is time to use ITSM/Business Simulations to inject practical experimentation and lots of fun in our training curriculums.

You can download a comprehensive Apollo 13 brochure here

If you want to know more about the simulation or should you wish to schedule an in house or off-site workshop please contact us