Experience

Business Challenge is an eight-hour, synchronous learning experience. At the heart of Business Challenge is a technology-enabled and team-based simulation in which employees compete in a dynamic marketplace and practice communicating in financial terms, making data-driven decisions, and connecting decisions to the drivers of business value.

Business Challenge is led by an experienced facilitator with a strong background in finance and business leadership. Facilitators teach key concepts through discussions, interactive exercises, reflections on the business simulation, and very little lecturing. Key concepts covered include strategic planning, financial statements, breakeven analysis, cost structure, investment analysis, and drivers of business value.

In the business simulation, employees are grouped in teams of two to four people, in which they manage virtual businesses and compete against their peers for market leadership. They make investment decisions, expand product lines, fund their strategies, and view the results in terms of financial metrics. Throughout the simulation, teams explore different what-if scenarios until they reach a configuration that most successfully reflects their strategy and creates the greatest value. They see the impact of price on demand, the projected effect of a marketing campaign, and the financial implications of leasing or building a facility. At the end of each round, decisions are locked in and teams receive immediate feedback on their company’s financial performance based on their decisions and the decisions of competing companies.

• Communicate effectively about business metrics across the organization
• Evaluate financial data to inform business decisions
• Connect decisions to drivers of business value