Fostering Collaboration through Business Simulations
Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG is the world’s leading provider of cleaning technology and has been selling innovative solutions for cleaning and irrigation problems since 1935. TOPSIM developed a management simulation for Kärcher, aimed to improve collaboration in the company. In this article, we have summarized the most important points of our partnership with them.
The challenges of the customer
Kärcher currently generates 85% of its sales in international markets and employs more than 12,300 people in 68 countries. In order to accelerate international cooperation, the Kärcher Employee World Meeting was initiated in 2018, in which 139 employees from more than 50 countries get together. In this event, Kärcher employees can exchange experiences over three days, develop new ideas together and promote cross-departmental and -cultural team spirit. The central component of the meeting was a workshop in which departmental and site-spanning collaboration was addressed using a TOPSIM – management simulation.
Our solution: TOPSIM – Management Simulation
In the workshop “Collaboration Challenge within a Business Simulation” the employees met for several rounds of relevant management decisions for a simulated subsidiary and were thus able to get to know new roles in the company. The exemplary subsidiary was an innovative, family-run company that produces ergonomic backpacks for Kärcher cleaning equipment.
Initially, teamwork was required within individual departments, and later across departments. Subsequently, all subsidiaries had to work together in order to produce the quantity necessary for the market. It came to an exciting negotiation between the representatives of the individual subsidiaries about which companies are ready to expand their capacity and how many additional backpacks they will produce in the interests of the Group.
Value for the client
The learning concept based on the TOPSIM – Management Simulation was able to support Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG in achieving several targets. In addition to improving the global corporate network, an efficient inter-functional and cross-departmental collaboration was created within the group. In addition, the participants were able to get to know new roles in the company and thus develop a deeper understanding of the different roles in the company. The realism of the simulation ensured that the participants were very motivated, which resulted in innovative approaches for improving cooperation and a good team spirit.