September 2007: Cidermill delivers more business finance training to Computacenter in the UK

Computacenter is Europe's leading independent provider of IT infrastructure services. Headquartered in the UK, with subsidiaries in Germany, France and the Benelux countries, Computacenter is a £2Bn giant in the IT industry, employing 9,500 people. The company offers a single source for technology, skills and expertise to help IT departments realise greater value from their technology investments. Computacenter provides technology sourcing, infrastructure integration and managed services.

Cidermill first provided training to Computacenter in 2006, to the senior sales management team. The training was so successful that Computacenter decided that people elsewhere in the organisation could benefit from some introductory business finance training.

In July 2007 Cidermill delivered to Computacenter sales managers a one-day 'Finance for non-Financial Managers' workshop, based upon Apples & Oranges® business simulation, which Sweden-based authors Celemi have accredited Cidermill to deliver in the UK and Ireland. Apples & Oranges® enables people with no financial knowledge to learn the fundamentals of business finance, including cash flow, profit & loss and balance sheets. Participants learn quickly, not by sitting through traditional presentations, but by actively managing a realistic board-based business.

In addition to the generic Apples & Oranges® material, Cidermill added a new session to the workshop, relating key learning points specifically to Computacenter's business. In addition, Computacenter's Financial Controller ended the day with an open Q & A session addressing some of the financial procedures unique to Computacenter.

In September 2007 Cidermill were asked to deliver another 'Finance for non-Financial Managers' workshop, this time for 20 Computacenter sales team-leaders from across the UK. Again the workshop was built around the Apples & Oranges® business simulation, from Celemi.

After learning the basics of business finance through playing Apples & Oranges, the participants were encouraged to apply what they had learned to interpet Computacenter's own annual report and financial statements. An important insight learned from Apples & Oranges is predicting how apparently small changes in one area of a business lever dramatic results in overall profit and cash flow. Each team was able to try 'what if?' scenarios using a live Celemi financial model, based upon Computercenter's actual 2006 financial numbers.

If you want to know how Cidermill Consulting could help your people develop their business skills, contact Cidermill Consulting today. Either send us an email or call us on +44 (0)1386 840277

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