[justjohn]

It seems unlikely to me that the business types will do much serious programming; after all that's not what job is. I suspect the real value of this will be improved communication on technical subjects. It's much easier to work with someone (like an engineer) when you have a common baseline and can appreciate the work they're doing. It's also a fantastic learning opportunity for the engineers, since teaching/mentoring people on a topic is one of the best ways to improve your knowledge of it.