The A4Q Certificate in Business Acumen attests to an individual’s ability to understand how to apply knowledge and skill to make sense of an organization and its context. It focuses on the strategic, structural, and commercial aspects of a business.

Holders of this certification should be able to apply business acumen to make insightful and effective decisions strategically and tactically aligned with the goals and needs of the organization.

As well as having its inherent value as a certification, the A4Q Business Acumen certification is one of the elective modules in the A4Q Certified Service Designer certification.

How do I obtain this certification?

To be certified, you must pass the A4Q Certificate in Business Acumen exam. We strongly recommend that you attend a training course with an accredited training provider to gain maximum benefit and to support skills development.

You can also test your knowledge without obligation and free of charge before taking the exam through our online mock-exam

What are the entry requirements?

There are no specific entry requirements to be eligible for this certification.

If you intend to progress to the A4Q Certified Service Designer award then you must hold the mandatory modules:

• A4Q Business Service Design
• A4Q Design Thinking Certification
• A4Q CX Analysis Certification

How does this certification benefit me?

With the A4Q Certificate in Business Acumen, you will be able to develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to possess business acumen. This certification covers:

• Types of business models and the differences between them
• The concept of a values-driven organization
• The importance of a growth mindset for senior leadership teams
• Factors relevant to organizational decision-making
• Generic strategies for growth
• Competitive strategies
• Evaluation of the product portfolio using the Growth Share Matrix
• Defining the term ‘profit’ across different types of organization
• Understanding pricing and costing approaches
• Evaluating financial reports
• Analyzing business proposals
• Using data to inform business decision-making

Who is this certification for?

• The A4Q Certificate in Business Acumen is for anyone interested in the knowledge and skills required to develop business acumen, in particular Business Service Designers (including Business Designers and Service Designers); Business Analysts; Customer Journey Managers; Customer Journey Analysts; Business and Enterprise Architects; Solution Architects and User Researchers. UX Designers, Product Owners, and Managers will also find the course beneficial.

What other certifications can you recommend?

If you are seeking to further extend your knowledge in the field of service design, we recommend that you consider other modules within the A4Q Certified Service Designer portfolio including:

• A4Q Business Services Design Certification - Mandatory module for A4Q Certified Service Designer.
• A4Q Design Thinking Certification - Mandatory module for A4Q Certified Service Designer.
• A4Q CX Analysis Certification - Mandatory module for A4Q Certified Service Designer.

To gain the A4Q Certified Service Designer certification you will need to hold the three mandatory certifications

• A4Q Business Service Design certification
• A4Q Design Thinking Certification
• A4Q CX Analysis Certification

and one of the following elective certifications:

• A4Q Business Acumen Certification
• A4Q Service Design Consultancy
• A4Q Business Service Architecture Certification (Coming soon)