Coached by professionals, managers get the unique opportunity to gain years of management experience in days. In a simulated, but highly realistic business environment, you, as the management team of your business, have to steer it to success while handling the challenges of the broader economic environment, the market dynamics, the characteristics of your field or industry, your own company strengths and weaknesses and the actions of your competition.

We offer both corporate in-house programmes, uniquely designed according to the organisation's development needs, and group-based workouts focusing on specific management and leadership themes aimed at the individual participant. The Business Challenge also serves as a powerful technique to complement academic training, providing managers and leaders with the opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and practise.

 

Depending on the specific design of the session, you will achieve one or more of the following results:

• You will see the bigger business picture, and understand better how your decisions impact on the bottom line of your company.
• You will develop a profound insight into the complex dynamics at play in the market.
• You will experience the importance of differentiation, and learn how to leverage the value chain to achieve that.
• You will develop an understanding of the importance of customer service, and how the total value chain has to be aligned to optimally satisfy the customer's needs.
• You will begin to understand what the important issues are and how to focus your effort.
• You will learn the skill of business problem solving: how to get to the root of the problem, to identify potential solutions, choose the best alternative and focus on the important issues. You will learn how to analyse and interpret management information (forecasts, sales reports, financial statements).
• You will develop a feel for the longer-term impact of your decisions.
• You will gain confidence in business decision-making in high stress situations.
• You will experience the value of information sharing and coordination.

The Business Challenge provides you with the best in business-specific skill enhancement!

 

Using sophisticated computerised simulation, we create a realistic business environment in which competing teams are challenged to run their own businesses and achieve their business objectives.

As the management team of your business, you have to steer it to success, while dealing with the realities of the broader economic environment, the market dynamics, the characteristics of your field or industry, your own company strengths and weaknesses and the actions of your competition (which off course is represented by the other player teams).

You have to decide on your business strategy, implement it, manage the risks and counter your competition.

You have to solve typical business problems and overcome common organisational difficulties such as information overload, time constraints and the complexities of team dynamics.

You have to match supply to demand, and balance your whole supply chain to optimally achieve objectives.

You have to deal with marketing, production, supply, and finance - all at the same time.

You have to analyse management information (forecasts, sales reports, financial statements), interpret it and act accordingly.

You have to deal with suppliers and customers who all have a mind of their own.

And you have to show a sustainable profit and grow your market share!

The road to wisdom? -Well, it's plain and simple to express: Err And err And err again But less And less And less. Piet Hein: The Road to Wisdom

 

Each of the following Business Challenge sessions is designed to focus on a specific problem area:

1. Fast-tracking Management Skills

2. Supply Chain Performance Management

3. Supply Chain Network Design

4. Forecasting and Buffer Management

 

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--[View the latest schedule of Business Challenge seminars]--

 

As a complementary training technique, this is really the only way to become race fit. The reasons are many:

• It is PRACTICAL: Humans tend to develop insight best through experiencing the impact of their actions.
• It is REALISTIC: you have to deal with the total complexity of the management decision-making environment.
• It is a CHALLENGE: the competition, the markets, the macro economy - each has a mind of it's own.
• It is SAFE - mistakes are allowed! You can experiment with new ideas without paying the real costs.
• It INVOLVES everyone - you can't cheer from the side.
• It is FUN! We learn better when we like what we're doing!

 

A session typically runs for two days continuously, and is usually very intense. The session is conducted in so-called decision-making cycles. A cycle typically covers between one to three months of business simulation, but can be as short or as long as desired, depending on the session objectives.

A decision cycle comprises the following:

1. Players review and analyse the business history (results from previous turn(s))

2. Players formulate and input business decisions for the next turn (spanning one to three calendar months)

3. Coach Team runs the simulation

4. Coach Team reviews the results

5. Coach Team makes possible adjustments
   

- and the cycle starts again from 1.

Between cycles, review of history and coaching may take place, depending on the session objectives. A decision cycle can take anything between 1-4 hours of real time.

 

 

To set up a session, we would typically go through the following steps:

1. We carefully establish the game objectives and the profile of the target group(s). This may involve discussing with our Client questions like what exactly they want to achieve with the session, where they want to be after the session(s) as well as the seniority, position, background, skills and experience level, attitude of each participant, and why they think he/she should be part of the target group. We then formulate the business outcomes we want to achieve with this session. 
2. The next step would be for us to design the session to enable us to achieve the required business outcomes. This involves deciding on the best scenario to be fed into the simulation, the way the player teams should be composed, special skills needed in the Coach Team, what the game procedure should be, what special measures should be taken etc. 
3. We discuss the session with our Client, to make sure they feel comfortable with the design. 
4. After this we set up the simulation, produce the preparation material for the players (which includes information such as a year of business history and a brief on the company strategy) and distribute it to them. This usually happens about a week or so before the session. 
5. Lastly, we run the session and produce the after-session-report to evaluate whether we have achieved the desired business outcomes.

 

 

We exhibited at the international ASTD 2001 (American Society for Training and Development) conference and the reaction from visitors of all over the world confirmed that this product has some unique features:

• The simulation was specifically designed to be played by middle to top management. That implies that the simulation of business dynamics had to be realistic and complex enough to provide a real challenge to such a senior group. Very few simulation games exist that is able to provide a realistic learning experience to this level of management. We are very successful with our senior management programs, and clients leave the program absolutely delighted. They report marked improvements in supply chain efficiency due to the new insight created with senior members of management.
• The game is unique in the sense that it allows you to set up a specific company, and its competitors, realistic enough to provide a valuable learning experience. We have a library of generic games aimed at industries such as the petroleum industry, petrochemical industry, food and beverage industry and travel industry. But we have also set up several custom scenarios for specific clients, modelling their own industry and company.
• The flexibility of the tool allows for a wide variety of applications, from teaching business skills to "soft" issues such as team building and leadership development.
• Our facilitation methodology is unique and allows us to optimise the impact of the tool. We design each session to achieve very specific outcomes, and ensure that we address the appropriate level of decision making according to the profiles of participants. We never compromise on the quality of coaches, to ensure that players have the opportunity to learn from respected specialists in the specific domain.

 

This is a service that wins rave reviews every time we present a session:

Total SA:

"Marked improvement in our demand forecasting! The people who are responsible for it now understands how their forecasts impact on the rest of the supply chain and therefore the bottom line of the company"

"The best team building exercise we ever had!"

T-Systems Assessment Centre:

"Excellent training and assessment. Most enjoyable."

"I found the session extremely interesting. I am sure I will benefit from these two days."

"All round the experience was great - more than I expected."

European Masters in Logistics:

"It gives an individual an exposure to the market trends and the supplier behaviour."

"A great learning experience that creates valuable insight in business dynamics. A thoroughly enjoyable experience."

"Great experience in managing the total supply chain without paying for your mistakes!"

"Very good experience in terms of logistical issues and focus on profitability of the business."

Supply Chain Management Programme for Spoornet:

"I was very impressed with the course, as it really opened my eyes as to how a business enterprise is run and the challenges that managers are faced with. I hope that in future I will remember the concepts given to me and that I will utilize them in my decisions. Thank you!"

"Valuable experience - both in business and life! Better understanding of the whole supply chain concept."

"We want to play for a longer period (3 days) and in more detail!"

"Many thanks for a wonderful experience and well-organised and effective learning experience"

"FANTASTIC!"

"This business game showed me new ways to understand the entire business process."

"This was a great 'eye opener' for me!"

"I really enjoyed playing the game. I learned not to take anything for granted, but to look at the facts and also to use my common sense!"

Transnet Executive Women's Programme:

"Overall I really enjoyed the program. I found it very insightful and educational."

"An eye opening exercise which makes one think systematically and holistically."

" A worthwhile experience!"

 

Our business is to develop management and leadership fitness through practical business experience.

We design, develop and support business games to be offered by us as well as value adding partners as part of their unique business solution.

"Tell me and I will forget,
Show me and I may remember,
Involve me and I will understand."
Anon

Our team members have extensive academic background and practical experience in the gaming discipline. Two members hold masters degrees that specialised in war games theory - business games originated with the military. In addition to this, Insight personnel have more than 80 cumulative person years of experience in the practical design and development of wargames for the military. We have invested our wealth of knowledge and experience in the wargaming environment to develop unique learning experiences for business. We have been providing practical business training since 1999.