Thumbs up for MBA´s Company Projects!
News
In spring this year the MBA saw the final presentations of the previous Company Projects. Well-known companies such as BOSCH REXROTH, MAHLE, Hartmann, KPMG, and Francotyp-Postalia had once again collaborated with students from the MBA International Management program in research projects which were supervised by Prof. Frauke Sander, Prof. Jürgen Janovsky, Prof. Harald Strotmann und Prof. Markus-Oliver Schwaab from Pforzeim University. The five projects from different industries enabled the students not only to get a better insight into the German labour market but also to further develop their leadership skills, enhance their communication within the group and with the clients, and most of all sharpen their individual professional profiles.
BOSCH REXROTH
BOSCH REXROTH, final presentation January 2020IoT (Internet of Things) is changing our way of life. Smart homes, offices and other connected devices are having a great impact on the present world. BOSCH REXROTH is working on creating IoT technology to improve the performance of off-road vehicles i.e., agriculture and construction machinery. The technology enables the users of these types of machines to optimize their operational and maintenance activities, to reduce costs and lead times and hence provide a competitive advantage in the market. The MBA project team along with the BOSCH REXROTH IoT team created a go-to-market strategy for an online trial variant of this futuristic IoT product.
Francotyp-Postalia
Francotyp-Postalia, final presentation January 2020For the Francotyp-Postalia company project the MBA students engaged in analyzing potential solutions to offer on the company´s cloud-based customer portal. The project included a thorough market analysis of the UK market where the students were able to have hands on experience conducting customer interviews, performing market research and presenting results. In their final presentation at the FP headquarter in Berlin the MBA students shared their ideas and solutions with the representatives of Francoty-Postalia. At the end of the final presentation, the Chief Digital Officer Sven Meise stated that “I’ve seen a lot of presentations this year, but this presentation definitely was a highlight.” As a result the three Pforzheim University students were offered thesis opportunities as well as working student positions for the upcoming semester.
KPMG
KPMG, final presentation January 2020The KPMG company project was aimed at developing high-level digital transformation packages that KPMG could provide to clients, specifically aimed in the field of HR. We therefore had to rely on secondary research. The final deliverables for the project was a Digital Maturity Assessment tool, Technology Roadmaps, Platform Selection Criteria, Recommended Platforms, and an Implementation Roadmap. KPMG was very satisfied with the result report that the MBA students provided them. Some minor things regarding the service might need to be changed based on the company´s knowledge of their customers but the overall framework was highly appreciated by KPMG including the two MBA alumni Nadine Ebmeyer (Manager CIO Advisory / Digital Strategy) and Gopikrishna Badhrinarayanan (Senior Manager / CIO Digital Strategy).
MAHLE
MAHLE, final presentation February 2020The goal of the MAHLE company project was to analyze "The effects of E-mobility in the Independent Aftermarket". In addition, the MBA students also investigated how electrification is changing consumer behavior in the Independent Aftermarket and which new opportunities and challenges lay ahead for automotive companies. Through primary research the project team was able to deliver well-founded recommendations to MAHLE for further analysis of business development in their final presentation in Stuttgart. The company project´s benefit for the students becomes evident as Andrés from Columbia states, “This project allowed me to understand how a megatrend such as electrification is changing the society, consumer behavior and urbanization, gain technical insight in e-mobility, and experience how a multinational company is constantly reacting and transforming in today’s fast-changing environment.”
Hartmann
Hartmann, final presentation February 2020Peha® -instrument, a HARTMANN brand, is well-known for its single-use surgical instruments that are made of high-quality stainless steel. These instruments come in ready-to-use sterile condition and can be used for a variety of surgical interventions. For the HARTMANN project, the MBA students worked towards developing an alternative business model for Peha® -instrument which leverages the sustainability aspirations of the customers. After thorough research, the student team presented their business model to the company representatives including MBA alumnus Himanshu Sahoo (Brand Manager at Hartmann). In their final presentation at the corporate headquarters in Heidenheim, the team also addressed the opportunities and challenges for both HARTMANN and its customers and proposed a comprehensive implementation plan.
The company projects which are a vital component of the MBA program are seen as a great opportunity for the MBA students to network with companies from different industries and work fields.
Prof. Frauke Sander, one of the supervising professors highly appreciated the Company Projects: “As the projects focus on companies’ ‘real-life’ challenges, the students have the chance to actually create valuable and implementable solutions for our project partners. That’s why I enjoy so much to do these projects – and obviously because working with so highly engaged and motivated students is fun for me too.”
“For me, the biggest takeaway from the Company Project was how to learn and apply the results from research (primary and secondary) to a practice and specific cases”, described My An Pham a MBA student from Vietnam.
Siddharth from India shared his experience of the company project, "It was a very insightful experience. We could actually apply our learning from the MBA and the results came out to be outstanding. I would definitely recommend every new student to opt for a company project." The students were appreciated for their extraordinary performance and were even rewarded with certificates and gift hampers.
“During my studies, I wanted to focus on school therefore I did not get a working student position. The company project opened a door for me to work with a German company that I may not have been able to obtain otherwise. I learned so much working with FP and Professor Sander. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything”, stated Kali from USA.
Daniela from Columbia stated, “The company project allowed me to have a real consulting experience. I was able to research relevant issues for the company and suggest solutions that would allow to achieve business objectives. It was undoubtedly a fundamental experience for the development of my future career.”
“My biggest learning was how to narrow down a broad scope with various opportunities into a specific set of deliverables”, explained Harsha Vardhan from India.
David from USA described the company project as “very challenging but also very rewarding. One of the main takeaways for me was that industry experts are invaluable when doing a project that you're not an expert on. Being able to speak with them vastly improved the quality of our company project.”
Thank you once again to the responsible managers and executives at Bosch Rexroth, MAHLE, Hartmann, KPMG and Francotyp-Postalia for the great cooperation during the company projects and for providing our students with the chance to put into practice what they´ve learned during their MBA studies at Pforzheim University.
Now, at the begining of the winter semester, the new Company Projects started off. Besides long trusted partners like BOSCH REXROTH, MAHLE and KPMG, this year the Berlin based start-up Faros Linen also joined the group of companies. We are very excited for our current 3rd semester MBA students who during the upcoming months will closely work together in their teams with their respective companies.
Text: MBA
Photos: MBA, Bosch Rexroth, MAHLE, Hartmann, KPMG, Francotyp-Postalia