Tango: Success with People

The board based business simulation Celemi Tango™ simulates the business logic of Knowledge Intensive Firms (KIFs).
Globalization, new technologies, new business models, increasing demand for innovation, shorter time to market, shorter product life cycles, demand for shorter lead-teams, greater complexity, etc. are forces that drive change in all companies and public sector organizations. This change can result in restructuring, re-organizing, outsourcing, or moving of production. One effect of this is the emergence of the new industry sector – Knowledge Intensive Services. For decades, it has been the fastest growing industry segment in western industrialized economies, and its share of GDP and employment has
grown from less than 10% in 1980, to more than 40% today in trendsetting countries like the Nordic countries and the UK. More than half the sector’s growth originates from other industries, and there is no sign of an abating trend. The trend has put the spotlight on the Knowledge Intensive Firms (KIFs). They are people-intensive, knowledge-based, project-driven companies in intense competition for both customers and key employees.
KIFs are high on expertise and R&D, and their production is often intangible. IT firms, professional services firms (consulting, law, advertising, etc.), financial service firms, R&D institutes, Hi-Tech consulting, etc. have these features in common. The features - and challenges - are beginning to influence policies and practices of all organizations – not just the KIFs.