What began as an early pilot evolved into a long-term collaboration where business simulations are now an integrated part of the company’s development programs.
For Sandvik Coromant, skills development is a strategic priority and a key part of staying competitive in a demanding global market.
The company runs a highly selective two-year development program involving participants from around the world, primarily within sales and marketing. The program combines training, collaboration, and team development across seven major sessions.
The goal is clear:
As Sandvik Coromant explains, stronger business understanding ultimately leads to better customer service and increased sales.
After several successful pilots, Sandvik Coromant introduced CELEMI Apples & Oranges™ as part of its leadership and development efforts.
Over time, the company expanded the collaboration and began using multiple Celemi simulations including:
According to Nils Hedar, Sales & Business Consulting & Training Manager at Sandvik Coromant, the simulations create a learning experience that feels practical, engaging, and highly relevant.
“Through Celemi, our employees learn in a fun way. Being able to test their knowledge in practice is so valuable. Not only does the knowledge last, they get a real understanding of how their decisions affect the business.”
Sandvik Coromant primarily uses physical, face-to-face simulations, often combined with digital support.
The organization sees strong value in in-person interaction because participants can read body language, strengthen communication, and build stronger team dynamics.
In the latest sessions, participants first developed business acumen through CELEMI Apples & Oranges™, where they explored how products and services influence customer KPIs and financial performance.
The program then expanded into sustainability and long-term value creation through CELEMI Sustainability™.
Participants worked with balancing:
Marcus Karlsson, Program Manager Sustainable Business at Sandvik Coromant, described the outcome this way:
“A lot of creative value was generated through Celemi Sustainability. The game really pushed the team to challenge old ways of thinking, how we together with our clients and suppliers must consider the planet, people and profit.”
The simulations helped participants connect operational decisions, sustainability priorities, and business performance in a shared learning experience.
According to Sandvik Coromant, the impact has been significant.
Many participants in the development program have advanced into more senior roles within the company.
The sessions have also contributed to:
One particularly important outcome has been the quality of the discussions during the simulations.
Martin Landgren, Celemi Facilitator, described how participants align around decisions and begin seeing the broader consequences of everyday actions:
“It is truly amazing to hear the participants discussing as they are trying to align on what they should do in different business situations so that they all pull in the right direction.”
For Sandvik Coromant, the simulations are not viewed as traditional classroom training.
They are seen as practical business experiences that help employees understand how their decisions affect:
Nils Hedar summarizes the experience simply:
“Everyone is so impressed with this way of learning. Seeing the employees happy and excited about learning is an incredible reward.”
This reflects a broader shift happening across many global organizations.
Business simulations are increasingly being used not only to transfer knowledge, but to build shared understanding, stronger judgment, and cross-functional alignment.
For companies operating in complex global markets, business acumen and sustainability thinking are no longer separate capabilities.
They are becoming deeply connected.