How realistic are Sparkassenstiftung's business games?
Seminar participants repeatedly confirm that our business games are extremely realistic. We design and develop them together with professionals from the relevant area of expertise who have outstanding proficiency and many years of practical experience. The simulations are mostly based on real data from previous market activities. Although business games are intended to be as close to real life as possible, they also have to be easy to understand and simple to use. Consequently, a simulation cannot always reflect actual conditions in every conceivable environment. To help boost the learning effect, the business game trainer discusses the transfer from the simulation to real life with the players.

Do participants require any previous knowledge and if so what?
No previous knowledge is required for the Microbusiness Game or the Savings Game. As far as the other business games are concerned, it is expedient to have some basic accounting skills, as this makes it easier for participants to evaluate the reports generated in the course of the simulation. PowerPoint skills are useful for preparing the final presentation, but they are not a requirement for participation. All our simulations revolve around group decision-making. People playing the business games learn much more if the group is heterogeneous (e.g. comprised of staff from the auditing, marketing and risk management sectors). However, if some people are much more knowledgeable than others, this can have a negative impact on group dynamics. Therefore, we advise you not to combine groups of participants whose levels of proficiency differ widely.

What is the best number of participants for an event?
As a rule, around twenty to forty people take part in a single training event. They are subdivided into groups of five to eight participants. A small group thus consists of three to five people. This allows all players to participate fully in the simulation and discussion process. In principle, however, training is also feasible for larger groups of participants.

How long in advance do I need to start planning for a business game event?
Three months is a good timeframe for organising training. The business games are available in various languages. With the Microbusiness Game and the Savings Game, it is possible to have the material translated into the respective local language. Printed materials can either be ordered from Sparkassenstiftung or produced on site.

What are the technical and spatial requirements ?
The technical demands vary depending on the business game. Sparkassenstiftung and the client discuss these details prior to training.

Do the business games generate sustainable learning effects?
Participants rate the learning effects of our business games and the resulting expertise very highly. Because the games are so realistic, the lessons learned are easily transferred to the workplace after training. A survey of a representative number of participants showed that they had significantly altered their behaviour six months after completing their training. Many of them said they had adopted a more economically meaningful approach to their work.