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The Kaplan Business Challenge

Signature Programmes

The Kaplan Business Challenge

The Kaplan Business Challenge (KBC) is an experiential business and finance management training program used by leading global companies throughout the world to develop executive capability.

In this real life business simulation, participants must work together as the senior management team to turn a failing former multi-million dollar company back into a success story.

Energize your staff, increase productivity, and improve knowledge and skills in the areas of:

  • Business plans and budgets
  • Cash-flow management
  • Market assessment and sales forecasting
  • Financial statement analysis
  • Negotiation and delegation
  • Team building


Why the KBC?

  • Learning by doing – when it comes to understanding how to run a business, appreciating the financial consequences of the decisions that you make and using financial data to optimize return, the best way to learn is by doing. 
  • Safe environment – the KBC provides a safe learning environment where mistakes are not only permitted but are a powerful part of the learning process.
  • 20 Years of Experience – From design, delivery to support, our entire KBC team will make your program a success in your organization.
  • A flexible simulation – Precise learning objectives will be tailored to your specific organizational and people development requirements. It can be used for a variety of audiences and levels of management; developing both technical skills and behavioral confidence. 




Learning Outcomes

Teams are pitched against each other as they fight for market share one minute and form alliances the next. By negotiating with stakeholders and competitors, participants develop skills such as:
 

  • Managing a company in a highly competitive environment.
  • Connecting every day business decisions with their financial consequences.
  • Improving operational performance through better cash flow, reporting and management.
  • Using financial methodology to analyze strategies and evaluate decisions.
  • Identifying key drivers of shareholder value.

Who Should Attend?

The challenge is designed to build teamwork across multiple departments and business units and is ideal for any professional wishing to understand the broader implications of strategy, finance and risk management.

Previous participants include: executives, management trainees, new managers, high flyers, directors, managers, financial controllers, advisers, boards of directors, business bankers and project managers.

This is suitable for HR, Marketing, Product development, Sales, Customer Service, Information Technology, Operations, Finance.

Uses of KBC

Previous companies use it for:
 

  • Accounting and financial experiential trainings for non-finance executives
  • Team building, leadership and strategic thinking & planning trainings
  • Managing change and creative problem solving trainings
  • Cross division competitions
  • Graduate training
  • Talent development
  • Management development
  • Executive education
  • Leadership training
  • Staff assessment 
  • Client relationship building

Customizable To Your Priorities

The simulation is highly flexible and can be tailored to your specific organizational and people goals. We customize the program with these key steps:

  1. Understand your current business and organizational challenges
  2. Identify the opportunities or gaps that have a real impact
  3. Develop learning outcomes that directly align to opportunities and gaps
  4. Design and deliver the desired outcomes



Customizable components may include:

  • Duration: 2-5 days
  • Format: As a standalone program or integrated with your other programs
  • Location: Your premises, external venue or Kaplan campus
  • Language: English, Cantonese or Mandarin
  • Pre-course survey/readings
  • Guest speakers
  • Additional learning strategies:
    • Mini lectures on your desirable topics (such as financial management, business strategy and communications)
    • Icebreaking
    • Discussions
    • Case studies
    • Group projects 
    • Group presentations
    • Public reviews
    • Psychometrics

Success Stories

Our many clients including global banks, accountancy firms, and multiple industry leaders have found the KBC practical, engaging and useful for meeting multiple learning and development goals.
 

“The competition of the Challenge is completely all engrossing. My every waking minute whilst I was in the challenge had me thinking of how I could make better decisions, how to innovate and win.”  - Division Manager
 

“The business simulation was really interesting. I would definitely recommend. I think the team that ran it really delivered on our need to change the culture within our firm.”  - Senior Learning Development Manager


“I recently attended this business simulation that I found highly rewarding. I strongly recommend it to any Management Trainees and Relationship Managers. By competing among rival groups in a simulated market environment, your colleagues will learn a lot about the accounting impact of business dynamics, risk management and various challenges facing a manufacturer, financing for CAPEX and Working Capital, as well as soft skills such as strategic planning and execution, teamwork and competition. The course may be used for key talent assessment and client relationship building activities as well.” - Treasurer of a large-cap listed company