CMU students put business skills to the test at ERPsim competition

Students stepped into the roles of business professionals during Central Michigan University's October 2026 ERPsim competition, using SAP enterprise software to manage simulated companies in a fast-paced, competitive environment. The Gentex team emerged as the overall winner, demonstrating the strategic thinking, teamwork and decision-making skills at the heart of the experience.

Throughout the competition, teams managed operations, inventory, pricing, forecasting and overall strategy while responding to changing market conditions. Every decision affected their company's performance, challenging students to analyze data, communicate effectively and adapt their approach.

Industry mentors worked alongside the teams, offering guidance, challenging their thinking and sharing insights into real-world business practices. For Dow Solution Manager and industry mentor Megan McBride Davis, one of the most impressive aspects of the competition was the preparation and collaboration students brought to their teams.

"What impressed me most about the students today was seeing how much hard work they put in ahead of time," Davis said. "They were able to understand each of the different business functions, work through the data analytics and communicate as a team in order to come and win the competition."

Teamwork makes the difference

For students, one of the biggest challenges was learning to manage multiple business functions while keeping everyone on the same page. Hashir Bin Zahid, a graduate student from Pakistan studying information systems, SAP and cybersecurity, said communication was one of the most important parts of his team's experience.

His role required him to coordinate with the production, pricing and marketing teams to ensure everyone understood what products were coming next, which prices needed adjusting and what inventory was running low.

"There were a lot of different roles. My job was to make sure that I'm talking to the production team, I'm talking to the pricing team, I'm talking to the marketing team, just making sure that everything is going smoothly," Zahid said.

Although coordinating the different functions presented a challenge, Zahid said the experience went smoothly overall and was a lot of fun.

Preparation also played an important role in helping students feel confident going into the competition. Lucas Bradley, a general business administration student from Plymouth, Mich., said his team practiced throughout the semester as part of their coursework. As the competition approached, they spent additional time researching strategies, reviewing reports and understanding how different business processes worked together.

"The practice sessions were super helpful to get an idea of how to run all the processes and how to fill all the different roles so that we could switch around if we ever needed to," Bradley said.

Building skills beyond the classroom

ERPsim allows students to see how different areas of a business connect and influence one another. From marketing and product positioning to pricing and production, participants must consider how their decisions affect the company's overall performance.

Ekhomen Ebitibituwa, a faculty member in CMU's Department of Business Information Systems, emphasized that students do not need an extensive technical background to benefit from the experience.

"You don't have to have any technical background, it just teaches you how to work in a business space: strategy, pricing, positioning of your product, marketing, all in one," Ebitibituwa said.

Students also learn to evaluate their decisions and adjust their strategies as the simulation progresses. A team might generate high revenue but still struggle with profitability, requiring members to examine production costs, marketing expenses and inventory management.

Beyond developing business skills, Ebitibituwa highlighted the networking opportunities ERPsim provides and the value of connecting students with faculty, mentors and industry professionals.

"Even if you do not win, you've met new friends. You've learned from different mentors. You've met all the professors, all the mentors, all the business leaders, and learned from them as well," Ebitibituwa said. "The space is not just to win, but to grow and network and get better at what you do."

Preparing students for what's next

Beyond the competition, ERPsim gives students practical experience with SAP, strengthens their decision-making skills and creates opportunities to connect with professionals in manufacturing, technology, finance, consulting and healthcare.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students across all majors who have completed or are enrolled in BUS 331 or BIS 647, ERPsim challenges participants to apply classroom knowledge in a realistic business environment. The competition also recognizes student achievement through more than $15,000 in annual scholarships and prizes.

Whether they leave with an award, a new professional connection or a better understanding of how businesses operate, students gain experience they can carry into their careers.

2026 ERPsim competition winners

Students competed across three servers, Fire Up, Gold and Maroon, with teams recognized for their performance throughout the competition.

Overall competition winner

Gentex | Fire Up server

Luke Bonotto, Gabriel Armour, Zachary Parker, Austin Benchley and Carson May

First-place teams

Mitsuba | Gold server

Madison Knight, Aubrey Lang, Mia Wheaton, Caiden Warren and Jacob Briskey

BCBS Team 1 | Maroon server

Alyssa Fogel, Caroline Kitts, Dusti Morris, Molly Patton and Madeline Schmehl

Second-place teams

Dow Team 4 | Fire Up server

Hashir Bin Zahid, Sadiksha Giri, Michael Nangayi and Huygen Nguyen

Lippert  Team 1 | Gold server

Amelia Sarap, Olivia Thompson, Cole Mance, Drew Vogelaar and Owen Birch

Lilly Team 2 | Maroon server

Giselle Bise, Hannah Dombrowski, Lauren Fulton, Amber Nehrig and Otis Hofmann

Third-place teams

CMU Team | Fire Up server

Huy Pham, Riya Gurung, Ronghui Zheng and Syed Sarim

Ford Team 5 | Gold server

Daniel Sabolish, Mason Cone, Gavin Basnec, Amelia Morfe and Bryce Billings

Domino's Team 2 | Maroon server

Alyssa Verdoni, Brad McNeill, Brendan Schafer, David Gilmour and Lucas Kopanski

Spirit of ERPsim Award

Stella Friese and Hannah Beardsley