Educators of all disciplines today face a common challenge: equipping learners with the analytical skills that employers increasingly demand.

According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report, analytical thinking is the most sought-after skill in the job market. But combining theory and practice in such a way that the learners are really enthusiastic is often not that easy in traditional teaching.

It's not a lack of content or tools – it's a lack of relevance and inspiration, which leads to learners not being sufficiently interested in the skills that could be important for their future careers. Learning should be based on real data, meaningful context and practical experience – while stimulating curiosity and enthusiasm. The best learning successes do not come from memorizing concepts, but rather from actively applying them. This is especially the case when the theory is linked to a topic that is important to the learner.

Here comes Business Builders and cooperation with the NHL comes into play.

We've developed a new Business Builders game that brings hockey into the classroom – not just as a sport, but as a data-intensive, hands-on environment that teaches analytical and critical thinking.

Business Builders uses real NHL game data

In this latest installment of the Business Builders game series, students take on the role of a hockey analyst. Your task: Use real NHL game data to find out which factors contribute significantly to scoring goals.

“Ice hockey is fast, dynamic and rich in data, ideal for teaching critical thinking,” said Brant Berglund, NHL senior director of coaching and GM technology. “Through a strategic partnership between the NHL, SAP and HEC Montréal, we have enabled universities to access data published on NHL.com for academic purposes – without compromising the integrity of league data.”

As part of our collaboration with the NHL, we offer teachers a learning platform with a wealth of credible data that students can use. The NHL generates almost 1.5 million data points per game – including around 120 attempts to shoot on goal, 1,000 passes and 5,000 puck touches. This is raw material for detailed, practical analyses.

Business Builders can spark enthusiasm for STEM subjects and help students build data skills. The hockey game was developed by the ERPsim Lab team at HEC Montréal, led by Prof. Pierre-Majorique Léger, together with scientists from other universities. This underscores a core principle of Business Builders: it is built by teachers, for teachers.

“If the question seems relevant to the learners, they are fully engaged. They stay focused and continue to work persistently,” explained Léger. “For students studying sports management and business administration, real data from sport can enrich the learning experience. The professional data provides context, shows complexity and limitations – things that classic teaching methods cannot offer. Students learn to assess what is really important, to justify their decisions in a well-founded manner and to find compromises. This sharpens professional judgment, strengthens trust in analytical methods and promotes the ability to clearly communicate strategy and decisions. – Skills that directly relate to a career in sports management and business administration let it be transferred.”

Analysis of NHL scenarios with SAP Analytics Cloud

The students deal with questions such as:

• What distinguishes the best NHL goal scorers?
• Does the shooting angle have an influence on the hit rate?
• Which NHL players lead the scoring charts? And from what distances do they score their hits?
• Which shooting speeds and shooting techniques lead to the highest hit rates?

By analyzing these scenarios with SAP Analytics Cloud, students learn to interpret visualizations and effectively communicate insights from data sets. In this way, they improve their ability to make decisions based on data and sharpen their critical thinking skills.

The platform also offers real added value for teachers. Business Builders promotes active learning on a large scale by enabling teachers to efficiently manage and assess larger groups – while always keeping track of student engagement. The platform simplifies grading, supports discussion-based learning and makes visible how students work with data.

With a modern, practical learning experience – far more dynamic than mere slide presentations – teachers bring practice-relevant content into the lecture hall and increase the impact of their teaching.

SAP University Alliances works with educational institutions worldwide

SAP's role in this collaboration shows how committed the company is to promoting education and skills building and preparing students for the world of work of tomorrow. In a rapidly changing world characterized by AI, data and digital transformation, access to practical learning tools that provide real skills is essential. Through the SAP University Alliances program, SAP collaborates with educational institutions worldwide to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application.

“Access to enterprise software and real data is critical to preparing students for the future,” said Dr. Katharina Schäfer, Head of the Academic Partnership Program at SAP. “With free learning platforms like Business Builders, we enable educators to integrate enterprise analytics directly into the classroom and help students develop the skills needed in many industries – especially in a world where data and AI are the key competitive advantage. Today's students need more than conceptual understanding. They need hands-on experience with real software and real data. This will help them gain confidence and be ready to enter the world of work.”

One of the educators instrumental in the development of this new game is Prof. Olivier Caya from the University of Sherbrooke, who has contributed his perspective as both a faculty member and a professional.

Learning in the cloud

“What makes this learning experience special is that everything takes place in SAP Analytics Cloud – the same solution used by thousands of companies worldwide,” said Caya. “This creates a direct connection between what students do in the classroom and what awaits them later in their professional lives. They don't work with unrealistic software, but rather develop their skills with the exact tools that are used in real business environments.”

The result is a learning experience that is fun, interactive and practical. Educators can shine with a cutting-edge platform that combines passion with pedagogy, while students build in-demand skills with real software from a global technology leader.

Business Builders is available free of charge to teachers and students and includes access to the SAP Analytics Cloud. The offering ranges from beginner-friendly introductions to more demanding analytical challenges that are specifically tailored to master's programs.

Following Business Builders, students can develop their analytical knowledge of the SAP Learning Hub (Student Edition) deepen further. This is a free learning platform with guided learning content, exercise systems and up to two SAP certification attempts per year. This allows you to expand your own career opportunities even more specifically.

At its core, Business Builders is about bringing enthusiasm and education together. Together with partners from science and business, SAP makes analytical thinking tangible and memorable – and equips the professionals of tomorrow with the skills that are most important today.