Frequently asked questions

For more than 35 years, we've helped global organisations create moments of clarity that stick. During that time, we have been asked a lot of similar questions about how the simulations work, what kind of impact they can have, and how to best to get started.

Below, we've answered some of these frequently asked questions.

1. How long does a typical ProfitAbility experience last?

Most PBS experiences range from 4 to 8 hours, though some may extend to multiple days for more complex simulations. Our Making Waves sustainability simulation can be effectively delivered in as little as 2 hours, while our comprehensive Enterprise Profitability experience might span 2 days to allow for deeper learning.
We work with you to find the right balance – long enough to create meaningful insights, but condensed to respect your team's valuable time. Modules can often be split across different days if that works better for your organisation.

2. Can ProfitAbility experiences be delivered virtually?

Absolutely. All of our simulations have been adapted for virtual delivery with excellent results. We use a combination of video conferencing platforms and interactive digital tools to create an engaging online experience.

While in-person delivery offers natural advantages for social connection, our virtual experiences are specifically designed to maintain the competitive, collaborative environment that makes our simulations so effective. Many clients now opt for hybrid approaches, combining in-person and virtual participation to maximise flexibility.

3. How many participants can take part in a simulation?

Our simulations work best with between 12 and 24 participants, though we can accommodate smaller or larger groups with adjusted formats.
Participants typically work in teams of 4-6 people, competing against other teams. This creates the optimal environment for both collaborative problem-solving within teams and competitive dynamics between teams.

For larger organisational rollouts, we can train your internal facilitators to deliver multiple sessions or schedule a series of experiences with our facilitators.

4. What preparation is required from participants?

Minimal preparation is required – one of the great advantages of our approach. Unlike traditional training that often demands extensive pre-reading (which frequently goes unread), our simulations are designed to be self-contained.

For most experiences, participants simply need to arrive with an open mind. Some simulations include a brief pre-reading or survey to set context, but this typically takes less than 30 minutes. The real learning happens during the experience itself, not in advance preparation.

5. How do you measure the impact of your experiences?

We measure impact at multiple levels:

Immediate feedback and Net Promoter Score (typically 70+)
Specific learning outcomes assessed during the experience
Participant action plans for applying insights back at work
Follow-up sessions at 3-6 months to evaluate behaviour change
Business impact metrics specific to your organisation's goals

Many of our clients conduct their own long-term impact studies. For example, Schneider Electric found that participants in their PBS-powered Inclusive Leadership Programme were 6% more likely to stay with the company and 10% more likely to be promoted.

We work with you to define meaningful metrics that connect to your specific business challenges rather than applying a one-size-fits-all measurement approach.

6. How quickly can you develop a bespoke simulation?

Our development timeframes have significantly accelerated thanks to AI and our extensive experience. While traditional simulation development might take 6-12 months, we can now deliver customised experiences in as little as 4-8 weeks.

The exact timeline depends on the complexity of your business environment and the degree of customisation needed. We'll provide a clear project plan during initial discussions.

Our approach allows you to see early prototypes and provide input throughout the development process, ensuring the final simulation accurately reflects your business reality.

7. What makes ProfitAbility different from other learning providers?

Four key factors set us apart:

Real competition between teams (not against a computer or predetermined scenario)
Social learning that happens through genuine human interaction
Complexity that actually reflects your business reality rather than oversimplified scenarios
Decades of proven results with the world's leading organisations

Most importantly, our experiences create emotional, memorable moments that drive lasting behavioural change. Participants frequently tell us, "I've never experienced training like this before."

8. How do you ensure simulations reflect our real business environment?

For bespoke solutions, we conduct thorough discovery sessions with your key stakeholders to deeply understand your business model, challenges, and culture.

Our simulation designers then create a model that captures the essential dynamics of your business – not every detail, but the core elements that drive performance and decision-making. We then validate this model with your team to ensure accuracy.

For off-the-shelf solutions, we configure the experience to use your industry terminology and reflect your specific context, creating immediate relevance for participants.

9. What happens after a ProfitAbility experience? How do you support transfer of learning?

Each PBS experience concludes with structured reflection and action planning. Participants identify specific insights and commit to applying them back at work.

We recommend follow-up sessions at 3-6 months to reinforce learning and share progress. Many clients integrate our simulations into broader development programmes with coaching or mentoring to support ongoing application.

We can also train your internal facilitators to deliver refresher sessions or run the full experience for additional teams, creating a sustainable capability within your organisation.

10. How do your experiences complement our existing learning programmes?

Our simulations work exceptionally well as:

Capstone experiences that bring theoretical concepts to life
Catalyst events that create energy and insight at the start of a learning journey
Connectors that help participants see links between different skill areas
Reinforcement activities that deepen understanding of previously taught concepts

We regularly partner with internal L&D teams and other learning providers to integrate our experiences into comprehensive development programmes.

The experiential nature of our approach means it complements rather than competes with more knowledge-focused training, creating powerful moments of application and insight.

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