Advanced Seminar Operations & Supply Chain Management: Production & Supply Chain Management

Within this seminar, groups of students study a variety of problems with real-world applications. A supervisor with relevant research background guides each group through every step of their progress, from understanding the state-of-the-art literature to the final implementation of their extensions. Using selected scientific publications, the students will understand problems relevant to different industries and investigate various modeling and solution techniques to solve these problems. Within this process, students develop a wide spectrum of skills, which ultimately prepares them for carrying out a thesis with high academic value.

At the end of the module the students will be able to: - Review state-of-the-art in operations and supply chain management approaches related to the module focus. - Apply literature findings and/or methodologies to examples or case studies. - Critically evaluate the scientific contributions of the analyzed literature. - Analyze problems and solution approaches for operations and supply chain management methods and tools in the context of the module focus. - Develop ideas for future research in relation to the seminar focus. - Adequately communicate and discuss scientific contributions and research findings within the focus of the module

The students write a research paper (max. 25 pages) relating to a specific topic within the focus of the module, in which they demonstrate that they can perform a small research project from a discussion of the relevant literature, analysis of problem and solution approaches to the application in examples or cases and the identification of directions for future research. A final presentation (30 minutes with ensuing Q&A) proves that students are able to present their work to a scientific audience in a precise, comprehensible and demonstrative way. Further information will be announced at the beginning of the semester. Research paper and presentation will be graded as one contribution/examination, individual weighting is not applicable.

It is expected that participants have an interest in practical problems of production planning, scheduling and logistics, and the quantitative modelling of business problems. Participants should be familiar with Operations Research (OR) techniques. The modules "Management Science" and "Production and Logistics" or similar modules at other universitites are a prerequisite. It is strongly advised that the participants have previously taken part in the module "Modelling, Optimization and Simulation in Operations Management" or similar modules at other universities.

The module consists of a seminar. The contents is delivered through presentations by the students. The students improve the acquired knowledge by studying the suggested literature. The students will be supervised by the lecturer when they work on their topic.