WIWAG at Leiser AG, Reiden (Switzerland)

Leiser AG imports and sells machines and vehicles from designated manufacturers to clients in construction, industry, public sector and agriculture. As an aspiring company, the human resources have a central status. The majority of the leaders at Leiser AG come from the technical sector and aren’t trained in business management. The annual seminar for leadership, which takes two days, is a component of the intern training for leaders. In 2015 Leiser AG decides to use the business simulation WIWAG by Eco Challenge.

Together with the management of Leiser AG the targets for the seminar were established.

Participants
- develop joy concerning competitive entrepreneurial thinking and acting
- know the decisive setting screws for entrepreneurial success and take appropriate decisions
- understand the main concepts and key performance indicators (KPI) of business management

As lead-in for the management task before the seminar, started, the participants received a short preparation document of WIWAG and the annual report of the initial year. Due to the initial position, the three companies developed a vision, the strategy for the coming years and measurable strategic business objectives. During four simulated business years, the management teams showed an intense competition for sales and market shares in the market for pocket knives. The company Swiss Knife AG, Messer-Schmid-Pilatus AG and Swiss Tool AG tried to successfully lead their companies with superior strategies and ambitious targets. For example while Messer-Schmid-Pilatus AG had an ecological and sustainable focus, Swiss Tool AG attracted attention with their social commitment. The WIWAG-reports with sustainability and management cockpit, balance sheet, income statement and KPI’s informed the management teams after each financial year about the development of the company. The General Assembly was the conclusion of the seminar, in which the management teams provided information about the development to the shareholders and the media. Eagerly, the WIWAG Entrepreneur’s Award was awaited. The award went to Swiss Tool AG, which showed the best performance overall the four financial years.

Within a short time the leaders of Leiser AG earned experience with the complex overall leadership of a company. The participants experienced trade-offs and the consequences of their own decisions based on the development of the managed company. They received a better understanding of business management and the setting for an entrepreneurial success. The basic knowledge of business administration and management has been set up playfully.