Building Digivox: A Digital Transformation Story in Edumundo

Starting a company is always an adventure, but in the Edumundo simulation, every week represents a year, meaning every decision carries the weight of long-term impact. For our team, the journey began with a name, a logo, and a vision. We called our venture Digivox (short for digital voice), created a sleek logo using Google AI Studio, and set our slogan: “Digivox, beyond the call.” With roles assigned across leadership, product, marketing, HR, and finance, we were ready to step into the global marketplace. As the CEO, here’s my perspective on how we ran the business over seven weeks.

TLDR;

Digital transformation isn’t just about adopting new technologies; it’s about rethinking how businesses operate, compete, and grow in a connected world (IBM, n.d.; McKinsey & Company, 2024). Through the Edumundo simulation, our team experienced this transformation firsthand, building Digivox, a mobile phone venture, into a global brand while navigating challenges of pricing, sustainability, and market expansion.

The birth of Digivox

In our first year, we debated where to begin: the Netherlands, the UK, or Belgium. By the second year, we made a bold move, entering Monaco, France, and the Netherlands. Germany was our top priority, with its large population and tech-driven culture, but we decided to opt out because of cost. Monaco was chosen for its luxury market, while France and the Netherlands were chosen after much debate. We leaned into penetration marketing, offering the cheapest phones while promising quality and customer intimacy.

The third year brought results and challenges. We earned over £350 million in sales but spent heavily on marketing and rentals.

Demand in France and the Netherlands outpaced supply, forcing us to expand our warehouse capacity and cut prices. Ultimately, we exited the Netherlands and entered Canada, betting on its potential. France quickly became our strongest market, and we doubled down by increasing order limits and expanding our warehouse capacity.

Running at a loss

By year five, Monaco became our first major exit, with negative revenue of -£3 million. We replaced it with China, believing its massive market offered better prospects than India. At the same time, we entered Australia, where there were no competitors, giving us a rare opportunity to dominate.

Expanding to Africa and focusing on sustainability

Year six marked a turning point. We expanded into Nigeria, our first African market, while strengthening performance in Australia, France, and Canada. We released a press statement to inform the public of our expansion into Nigeria.

China proved more difficult, but we pressed on. More importantly, we shifted our focus toward sustainability, aligning with UN standards (United Nations, n.d.). Our new policies emphasized no poverty, gender equality, industry innovation, and sustainable cities. For us, sustainability became more important than financial KPIs, a bold decision we believed would secure long-term growth.

Reflection using Gibbs' model

To deepen learning from the Digivox journey, I applied Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle to reflect on it. This framework helped me structure my reflection by moving through six stages from describing the experience to planning future actions, ensuring that insights are both personal and practical.

• Description: Digivox expanded globally in the simulation by balancing exits, new entries, and sustainability.

• Feelings: I felt both challenged and motivated, gaining confidence as strategies succeeded.

• Evaluation: This simulation demonstrated strengths in adaptability and sustainability but lacked the levels of unpredictability found in the real world.

• Analysis: Digital transformation proved to be about people and values as much as technology.

• Conclusion: This requires embedding ethics and sustainability within all strategic decisions.

• Action Plan: In the future, I will reinforce risk management, align it with the UN SDGs, and use reflective models consistently.

Conclusion

Looking back, Digivox has grown from a simple idea into a global brand spanning Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. We’ve exited markets when necessary, seized opportunities where competitors were absent, and embraced sustainability as our guiding principle. France remains our strongest market, Canada and Australia show promise, and Nigeria represents our future in Africa.

Participating in the Edumundo game at the University of Salford helped me apply classroom theory to practice and see how strategic choices shape business outcomes. It showed me that digital transformation is a lived process of adapting and innovating in a safe simulation environment (University of Salford, 2021).

The journey is far from over, but one thing is clear: Digivox is beyond the call — and beyond borders.

Refrences

• IBM. (n.d.). What is digital transformation? IBM. https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/digital-transformation

• McKinsey & Company. (2024, August 7). What is digital transformation? McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-digital-transformation

• Edumundo. (n.d.). Business simulations. https://www.edumundo.com/en/business-simulations

• University of Salford. (2021, September 20). Simulations will bring learning to life at Salford Business School. https://www.salford.ac.uk/news/simulations-will-bring-learning-life-salford-business-school

• United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

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