ProfitAbility Business Simulations Clients - Case Studies - DLA Piper
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From foodies to financiers: how Compass enabled employees in
50 countries to speak the common language of value and profit
Compass has been pioneering exceptional food for 25
years and now, with help from ProfitAbility, Compass
people speak a new common language.
A challenge on a global scale
When new CEO Richard Cousins started at Compass Group in 2006, he inherited a
fragmented portfolio of companies. His top priority was to create a more cohesive
group between these disparate organisations.
Marc Van Handenhove, International HR Director at the Compass Group, explains,
“We needed an international ‘Compass language’ to achieve our strategic aims.
Teams were motivated, but needed one common platform from which to share.”
To address this, the Leadership Group developed MAP (Management And
Performance). MAP is a framework to develop strategy that improves profitability
and cash generation. Marc comments, “People started to realize that MAP was
incredibly powerful, and suddenly we saw a thirst to learn MAP terminology across
the business.”
ProfitAbility® Business Simulations had made an impact at Compass Group a year
before, when they created an innovative Senior Management Development
programme. Compass Group was so impressed with the way this experiential
learning programme delivered important messages about profit and cash that they
decided to translate the MAP approach into Mapping for Value – a programme for
senior leaders. Marc continues, “We had previously worked with ProfitAbility and
based on our excellent experience we turned to them again to help us create a
training programme that was completely new and very different to their usual
approach.”
What exactly is Mapping for Value?
In a joint effort with Compass Group, ProfitAbility created Mapping for Value.
This is a simulation based workshop, designed to inspire and drive new
behaviour in three key areas:
1. Developing team financial understanding
2. Illustrating cause and effect within the business
3. Showing managers how they can drive profit and cash flow.
“The biggest value for me is that I’m now better able to communicate effectively with my people. I can coordinate and focus people’s minds on the priorities in the business because we’re all speaking the same language.”
Richard Cousins, CEO, Compass Group
Leon Roos, Compass Group Account Manager at ProfitAbility, explains, “For
many people, profit is a very abstract concept. The moment they realise how the
P&L fits into the MAP framework, they become more effective in delivering
value.” Mapping for Value presents each team with the challenge to improve
profit and cash flow. The model reacts just like Compass’s financial model, giving
every delegate a crystal-clear view of the effect of their decisions.
Mapping for Value has been delivered to nearly 2000 managers throughout the
world and is part of Compass’s ongoing leadership development curriculum.
Leon comments, “MAP gets everyone lined up behind the same financial goals
and speaking the same language. It’s a great way to show managers how they
can drive for growth, cash, or profit as the needs of the business change.”
But does MAP work?
Determined to prove the success of MAP objectively, Compass Group measured
the results of Mapping for Value in three different ways:
1. Pre- and post-programme tests illustrate a 36% increase in knowledge.
2. Post-course Participant Satisfaction sheets boast a 92% delegate
satisfaction score.
3. Return On Investment – each delegate creates an Action Plan at the end of
the programme which becomes part of the country strategy.
It takes two
The success of Mapping for Value is rooted in the strong and collaborative
relationship between ProfitAbility and Compass Group. Leon comments, “This
was very much a team effort. Some of the ways we created synergy were
unique. Where Compass were using financial concepts such as ‘Drop-Through
Profit’ we were able to create exercises which help managers learn the concept
in minutes. The result is a process which builds the business acumen of every
participant in a way which is totally relevant to their day to day work.
Next stop – the front line
Marc concludes, “Demand for Mapping for Value has been greater than we ever
imagined. This is the best programme they have experienced. Mapping for
Value is to become our flagship in terms of business organisation. It is a must
for all those in the leadership team, and will form part of our induction
programme for all new leaders and managers at Compass Group.
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