BankSim - Finance & Banking

The simulation models the operation of commercial bank, and its focus is on the players getting to know and understand the basics and connections between the operation of the bank and our services.

In addition to collecting deposits and granting loans, projects also play an important role, currently the bank's operation and range of services can be enriched with 9 different projects.

The measure of the simulation result is the Price of own shares. The composite index includes, for example, ROA, loan stock, profit and the size of the retained earnings, and penalty points are also displayed based on the Capital Adequacy Index.

How BankSim simulation software works:

The students individually or forming teams and take over the management of the virtual bank modeled by the software.

The virtual bank is managed by making strategic decisions for annual periods.

The software provides a written report on the results of the decisions (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow), and the simulation also has a large set of graphs, which can also be viewed in presentation mode. The latter contains additional analysis possibilities.

The software can model several rounds, so it can model up to 8 periods, i.e. 8 virtual years.

The goal of the game is to maximize the Price of own shares defined on the interface, while minimizing point deductions.
 

The decisions:

Loans: the bank works with five types of loan products, which are provided to individuals, companies, public sector actors and public investments.

Deposits: in addition to granting loans, the bank also collects deposits. Three different deposits are available, with different terms and interest rates.

Investments: investment products are also displayed, in the form of government securities, shares and bonds, in the case of the latter two, both domestically and internationally.

HR: In order for the bank to be able to provide the right amount and quality of services, an important task is the precise planning and allocation of human resources.

Project: Projects play an important role in the game, with their effects having a significant influence on the bank's performance, but they also require financing. With these, it is possible to make the activity more efficient and unique. Currently, players can choose from 9 different projects.
 

Advantages and learning points:

The program provides the opportunity for the participants of the simulation to convert the basic knowledge of banking operations into "cash", and to gain insight into the strategic issues of bank operation and management.

The complexity of the program helps financial studies students synthesize their knowledge and put it into practice.

The game shows the competitive situation in the financial market, of which the banks themselves are an active part.

BankSim requires the joint operation of many factors, as is typical of the financial world. Careful planning is essential in this game as well.

As participants have to filter the relevant data from various financial and commercial reports (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow, market research report), the game significantly tests and develops analytical skills.

As a result of the above, the effective implementation of teamwork, which is so important in life, is also essential here for a successful game.
 

References:

Budapest Business University
Sapientia Transylvanian Hungarian University
Universidad del Istmo (Guatemala)
Gyöngyösi Vak Bottyán High School