Earlier this year, Insight Experience welcomed its 7,500th participant into the Dealer Management Simulation (DMS), a business acumen program that has now run for more than two decades. What has made it so durable? After all, even the best programs don’t live on indefinitely. Here are some facts that tell the story:
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The DMS program was first offered to our client in 2005 in Malaga, Spain.
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Since its inception, the DMS program has been delivered on six continents.
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Participant 7,500, who is Kazakhstani, attended our 394th class, which was delivered virtually.
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The program teaches business acumen and financial literacy skills to a heavy equipment manufacturer and its global network of dealers.
Here’s what has kept it going.
It Stays Relevant — By Design
The DMS program’s relevance is not accidental and is the result of continuous investment and improvement:
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The program content is highly customized, reflecting our client’s market dynamics and financial performance.
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Financial concepts are taught using our client’s financial reports, which serve two purposes. The reports introduce participants to financial reporting, and it sparks genuine curiosity: People naturally want to know how their company is performing. Both drive greater engagement and retention.
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Competitor financial performance data is shared during the class. This too increases participant curiosity. Participants want to know how they stack up relative to their competition and, more importantly, why.
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The program is updated on a quarterly and annual basis. We are vigilant in ensuring the content reflects changes to the client’s financial performance, evolving enterprise strategies, and ever-changing market dynamics.
Expert Facilitation Brings It to Life
Teaching financial concepts can be challenging. But Insight Experience facilitators bring life to it. How?
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It begins with experience: DMS facilitators have years of experience teaching financial literacy, and they bring real industry and leadership experience with them — not academic credentials, but hard-won, practical knowledge. They have led businesses through difficulty – think the pandemic – and through growth – think the post-pandemic years. Both are equally challenging, and that experience lives in the classroom.
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That experience is matched by genuine passion. DMS facilitators are naturally inquisitive and truly enjoy learning about their clients and the industries in which they operate.
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DMS facilitators provide external perspective. They not only have a deep understanding of the client and its competitive landscape, but they provide insights and benchmarks from work with other companies and industries.
A Business Simulation Puts Learning into Practice
The DMS program includes a customized business simulation. A primary benefit of the simulation is that it allows participants to practice, apply, and learn about financial concepts and skills. This injects excitement about what can otherwise be a dry topic to some. The inherent interactivity of the simulation creates engagement in a number of ways.
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The simulation is modeled after the client’s dealer network. It is customized to reflect the financial and operational dynamics of their business. The result feels very real to participants.
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Participants work in teams, collectively assuming the role of a leader in the simulation business. The team dynamic is intentional. It promotes group learning as participants share insights, opinions, and expertise while discussing and negotiating decisions. This process naturally provides cross-pollination of ideas and knowledge.
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The simulation is competitive, with teams vying for customer business and market share. This healthy competition drives engagement. Participants want to win, and winning requires them to apply everything they’ve learned.
We are proud of Participant 7,500. For organizations looking to build financial literacy and business acumen across its workforce, the DMS program's 20-year track record speaks for itself. We look forward to teaching participant 15,000 in the years ahead.
For more information about the Dealer Management Simulation program, contact dms@insight-experience.com. To learn more about other Insight Experience leadership development solutions, visit our Insightful Solutions page or reach out to info@insight-experience.com.
