Advantexe Learning Solutions - Sales Training Product of the Year

Company: Advantexe Learning Solutions, West Conshocken, PA
Company Description: Advantexe is an award-winning training and performance improvement organization that designs and delivers customized, live and web-based learning solutions in Business Acumen, Business Leadership, and Strategic Business Selling learning solutions. We utilize sophisticated business simulations as the catalyst for learning and we enable participants to "learn-by-doing", retain knowledge longer.
Nomination Category: New Product & Service Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Sales Training Product of the Year

Nomination Title: The Food Castle Supermarket Sales Simulation

Released June, 2021

Grocery Outlet (GO), a chain of discount supermarkets that offers discounted, overstocked and closeout products from name brand and private label suppliers were seeking a way to scale their training program for aspiring independent store operators. Independent operators autonomously manage a Grocery Outlet store including hiring, merchandising, marketing, and most importantly driving sales. After a comprehensive benchmarking study, GO identified the following key success criteria for their Aspiring Operators in Training “AOT” program:

Build scalable learning to meet company sales and profitability objectives and expansion into new regions

Create a consistent experience for all AOTs to give them all the same opportunity to be successful in their first stores

Build in a heavy focus on the business drivers of a supermarket to help all AOTs “think like an owner”

The team at GO and its partner, RJ Wronski Associates, Inc., determined that the only way to achieve the business goals for the new AOT program was to incorporate an enterprise grocery store simulation into the 16-week training program they were developing. The GO/Wronski team engaged Advantexe to build this simulation.

The simulation would need to achieve the vision of a “virtual training store” in which the AOTs could develop and practice store ownership skills over a full year of store operations. The simulation would let participants make decisions across the entire store ecosystem, see the impact of their decisions, succeed, or fail, and make improvements along the way.

The team developed the Food Castle business simulation, a 100% custom digital learning tool designed to mirror Grocery Outlet.

In the simulation, participants step into the role of a Store Owner for the “Baycoast City” Food Castle location to run their store over 52 simulated weeks. Throughout the year they make strategic and operational decisions about ordering, marketing, merchandising, staffing, and labor scheduling, while handing customer requests, personnel issues, and other unexpected events. The objective of the simulation is to maximize profit and grow sales.

The simulation rolled out in June 2021 with 5 cohorts completing it. The learning outcomes of the simulation included,

Understanding the drivers of revenue and profitability
Focusing on managing Gross Margin
Strategies to drive more RING and customers
Motivate and coach staff to secure employee engagement
Evaluate resources, financial position, inventory, and competitive environment

The benefits to date include incredibly positive feedback. Participants have shared that the experience has opened their eyes to the big picture of developing sales and running a store.

“Gross profit margin was a concept I struggled with before the simulation. Now I understand how to achieve the right net income. AOT, Cohort #3

“The simulation changed how I approach the business. I realized I have to do something about marketing every week because it’s the only way I’ll drive sales and bring people in.”AOT, Cohort #1

“The simulation taught me how to project better based on numbers. We can’t have sales if we don’t have inventory! AOT, Cohort #1

The simulation tracked and reported data for each week in the simulated year for examination and analysis. Below is a brief analysis of simulation metrics of success for the aggregate cohorts. A full review of the data is provided in the supporting documentation. The results clearly show skill development and behavioral change over the course of the simulation.

Revenue was up more nearly 11.53%– Teams were tasked with growing revenue for each of the eight departments in their store. Teams learned the different factors that drive revenue including price, marketing, merchandising, inventory, customer satisfaction, customer count, and the number of items in a customer’s basket.

Net Income:While all teams increased their revenue, they struggled with managing costs to generate revenue. All cohorts, on average, experienced a negative net income in the first half of the simulated year due to increased investments. In the second half, they learned to manage costs better to drive higher profit.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) was up an average of 4.4%. learned what programs to put in place to drive customer satisfaction.

This is a joint submission from the Grocery Outlet (GO), RJ Wronski Associates, Inc, and Advantexe

Simulation Results - Deep review into simulation results- https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/1153922/Awards/Full-simulation-results-review.pdf

Simulation Differentiation provides points of why the simulation is different - https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/1153922/Awards/points-of-differntiation-go.pdf

Promotional Video - Fun promotional video used to generate interest in the simulation - https://vimeo.com/644024745/01e65a68ba

Walkthrough Video - a full walk through of the simulation - https://vimeo.com/599775927/57aca0fdf4