Prof. Dr. Jürgen Grinninger from HNU and Alexander Koch from the start-up center welcomed the approximately 30 guests. First, Prof. Dr. Grinninger presented the digital and regional study program "Systems Engineering", which can currently be studied at the locations Nördlingen (Augsburg University of Applied Sciences) and Memmingen (Kempten University of Applied Sciences). From 2023, this will also be possible in Leipheim (Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences). The special feature of the study program lies on the one hand in the regional studyability and on the other hand in the high relation to practice. The new location in Leipheim and the built-up production facilities will give students in the "Digital Supply Chain Management" and "Project Management" majors even more practical relevance.
The guest lectures by Hartwig Meinen (Elflein Logistics Europe GmbH), Frank Schmidt (Process Automation Solutions GmbH) and Roel van Maasakkers (BMW AG) focused on the use of digital technologies in production and logistics for planning, design, analysis, visualization and process optimization. The conclusion of all presentations:Digitalization of value creation systems is a key to success in companies.
Afterwards, the students of the Systems Engineering course presented their semester project "Watchmaker". In this project work, they developed a complete wall clock factory from the idea to the implementation with the help of the methods learned in operations and supply chain management. In the demonstration, the entire customer order process was shownfrom the customer order in the Internet configurator, the ordering of components from suppliers, goods receipt, order picking, through final assembly at specially designed workstations, to shipping. In addition to traditional lean methods, new technologies such as process automation were also used. Via a direct comparison with conventional design, the performance of these digitalization tools in the planning and operation of value creation systems was demonstrated.
Finally, Prof. Dr. Grinninger gave the guests a 3D-animated and -visualized insight into the new and ultra-modern rooms of the planned Leipheim University Center. There, students will be able to study individually and agilely outside of large university lecture halls as well as blended learning.
