Business Acumen

Objectives
Enhance commercial awareness. Understand the benefits of logical business planning. View the business as a whole.

Course Content
Commercial Awareness:
a broad definition
the key factors.

Business Plans:
purpose and benefits
defining the content.

Planning the Future:
developing strategies
long and short-term aims
top down or bottom up planning.

Your Present Position:
SWOT analysis
PESTLE analysis
what makes for success today and for the future?

Monitoring and Control:
responsibilities
cash flow monitoring
statistical information
dated action plans.

Sales and Marketing:
expected sales by time period
marketing and sales methods
using the marketing mix.

HR Implications:
skill levels required
multi-skilling
the impact of change
headcount
motivation
performance targets.

Supporting Plans:
departmental
service
quality
operations
resources
capital
productivity
acquisition
disposal
supply.

Customer Orientation:
customer service and organisational initiatives
gaining the competitive edge
business benefits through service excellence.

Budget and Financial Planning:
expenditure forecasts
budgets and cash flow
financial implications
action plans.

Approval of Plans and Allocation of Budgets:
departmental objectives
budget acceptance
cascading objectives
devolving budgets.

Using the Business Plan:
importance of reviews
meeting the planned objectives
understanding justified assumptions.

Action Plan:
participants plan and discuss what they will do on return to work.