From competition to career

For Luke York, the turning point didn’t come in a classroom lecture—it happened in real time, surrounded by teammates, decisions and pressure.

“The internship opportunities sprouted from obviously the ERPsim event,” he said. “Blue Cross Blue Shield [of Michigan] came up to me at the event and gave me the job offer on the spot. I had applied beforehand, and they were impressed by how I was working with the team.”

That moment—unscripted and immediate—captured what makes Central Michigan University’s ERPsim experience different. It’s not just about learning systems. It’s about showing what you can do with them.

Learning by doing, in real time

York was first introduced to ERPsim through his course with Business Information Systems faculty member Kyle Nothstine.

“Professor Nothstine was pretty enthusiastic about it, which kind of got me into it,” York said.

From there, preparation turned into performance. Weeks of training led to a fast-paced, team-based competition built around SAP and real-world business scenarios.

“My team was absolutely awesome. I loved working with each and every one of them,” he said. “We were all pretty passionate about doing well in this event, even though we were just getting familiar with SAP and the real-world, real-time business scenarios that we were put into.”

That real-time element stood out.

“It was quite the learning moment because you had to adapt in scenarios that most students aren't usually comfortable with,” he said. “So that was a lot of fun as well.”

Throughout the experience, students weren’t working in isolation. Industry partners played an active role—offering guidance, feedback and, in some cases, opportunity.

“Throughout that experience, we were in contact with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and they were phenomenal help for us,” York said.

When preparation meets opportunity

For employers, ERPsim offers something traditional interviews often can’t: a chance to see students in action.

“The ERPsim Competition offers a unique experience where employers can see first-hand students' ability to execute processes, communicate with team members, and adapt to changes in real time,” said BIS faculty member Christine Witt. “BCBSM values the ERPsim Competition as an environment where students’ skills are showcased beyond traditional interview responses. As the Director of ERP Events, it is especially rewarding to see students earn on-the-spot job offers based on their performance.”

That ability to observe students in action is one reason Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has remained involved with ERPsim for years.

“As a proud information systems alumna from Central Michigan University, it was an awesome experience to see how CMU’s SAP/IS program has grown to immerse students in a real-world simulation: working with team members, making decisions, and analyzing the data in real time at the competition,” said IT Team Lead II Erin Butler ‘12. “Serving as a mentor, I had the privilege of interacting with both CMU student teams weeks prior and during the ERPsim event. Luke impressed the BCBSM team with his ability to communicate with his peers and his willingness to pivot the team’s strategy when adjustments were needed. We are excited to have Luke with us this summer to gain real-world experience of how an ERP platform supports our organization.”

Tom Borgula, director of ERP platform at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, said the competition provides employers with insight that is difficult to capture during a traditional hiring process.

“We have been participating in the ERPsim Competition since the beginning because we believe the experience for the students and our team members is priceless,” Borgula said. “We have hired many students from the competition over the years. Seeing the students react to real-life situations and watching how they react is not something you can replicate in an interview. All the students we have mentored and hired are well prepared for the workplace. We are fortunate to have Luke join us this summer.”

Now, he’s preparing to step into an IT-focused internship role, where he expects to combine technical support with analytics—an extension of what he’s already been practicing.

“I’ll be working more on the IT side, helping internally with technical issues, while also applying analytics, which is my focus in information systems,” he said.

The internship begins in mid-May, but for York, the momentum is already building.

“They have a mentor program which I find super helpful. I already applied, so we’ll see where that takes me,” he said.

A foundation built on people and performance

Experiences like ERPsim are designed to do more than simulate business—they connect students to it.

Through faculty mentorship, team collaboration and direct employer engagement, students build both confidence and credibility. For York, it all comes back to the environment.

“It just made the whole process a lot of fun,” he said.

In that process, a competition became something more—a proving ground, a connection point and the start of a career.