The competition consists of four business cycles. Participants are grouped into team-based companies in which they have full decision-making power and are accountable for their company’s results. In each cycle, the team-based companies develop and implement a business strategy that incorporates real-world dynamics, including production capacity, customers, prices, and financing. EachParticipants improve and develop their business acumen in every cycle. Each cycle includes the following activities: Competitor and market analysis Setting prices in a competitive market Monitoring cash flow Preparing an Income Statement and Balance Sheet Posting, comparing, and discussing of results Teams have the opportunity to improve their company through real-world business solutions like expansion, quality initiatives, and niche marketing. Finance and business acumen learning is integrated within the simulation through various activities like forecasting, budgeting, and unit cost analysis.

BUSINESS DECISIONS & RESULTS

An 8-hour workshop that targets anyone who makes decisions that impact sales, operations, and strategy. It is a non-financial manager training workshop that is perfect for improving business and financial acumen in all employees, even those without a financial background!

FOCUS ON TAKING INITIATIVE
Participants collaborate with their team to address complex and competing problems of oversupply, inventory build-up, working capital, cash flow, and debt repayment. The workshop also introduces formal exercises in budgeting, cash flow forecasting, and ratios. Learners must take the initiative to stay competitive in the simulation.

UNDERSTANDING POSITION AND PERFORMANCE
Participants take away a big-picture understanding of business and finance terminology by working with financial statements. The simulation allows participants to improve their financial and business acumen through stealth learning. Participants become fully immersed in the simulation that they don’t even realize how much they are learning!

OWNING THE RESULTS
Participants gain an enhanced readiness to take initiative in everyday activities, like reducing the company’s costs, inventories and working capital. They improve their business acumen by acquiring an understanding of how and why their everyday decisions and actions impact other areas of the company.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Business Decisions & Results workshop teaches finance for non-finance professionals, providing an overview of financial tools and concepts. Participants play all the major roles in an operating company – production, R&D, sales and marketing, management, and finance – they get first-hand experience and improve their business acumen.

Financial statements and their management uses: Income Statement (P&L) and Balance Sheet

Investing, generating profits (or losses!)

The difference between cash and profit

Cost structure and capacity utilization

Working capital and inventory build-up

How market conditions impact business decisions

Budgets and cash flow forecasts

Unit cost analysis

Implementing change and measuring results

Ratios as metrics for management (ROA, ROI)

Your company’s specific financial metrics

“I will have a better understanding of the payables and receivables time-line. It also teaches examples of “real world” market competition and how hard it is to guess what competitors will do.” — Associate, McGladry

COURSE OUTLINE

Program Outline

Our Business Decisions & Results simulation begins with a general introduction to business, and its dynamics, including key financial statements and business terminology. It sets the foundation for managing cash and profit separately.

Introduction & Fundamentals: 2 – 2.5 hours
Team Competition: 4 – 5 hours
Ratio Analysis (or other KPI): 0 – 30 minutes (optional)
Real-world financial analysis: 5 – 30 minutes

How it Works

The competition consists of four business cycles. Participants are grouped into team-based companies in which they have full decision-making power and are accountable for their company’s results. In each cycle, the team-based companies develop and implement a business strategy that incorporates real-world dynamics, including production capacity, customers, prices, and financing.

EachParticipants improve and develop their business acumen in every cycle. Each cycle includes the following activities:

Competitor and market analysis
Setting prices in a competitive market
Monitoring cash flow
Preparing an Income Statement and Balance Sheet
Posting, comparing, and discussing of results

Teams have the opportunity to improve their company through real-world business solutions like expansion, quality initiatives, and niche marketing. Finance and business acumen learning is integrated within the simulation through various activities like forecasting, budgeting, and unit cost analysis.

Extended Version Details

The extended 12 hour workshop offers even more: an additional 2-3 hours of simulation experience and integrated finance planning and analysis tools including break-even analysis, income statement analysis, discounted cash flow; 30 minutes Introduction to Ratio Analysis, a discussion of common business metrics with the Income/Outcome Triangle for Ratio Analysis; and 30 minutes of The Company Board^®, a 3D visual representation of your current corporate financial position.