Value Creation Management

Study overview

Teaching factory of the CETPM at the Campus Herrieden

The bachelor's programme "Value Creation Management" imparts the process and methodological knowledge required to recognise and eliminate losses and waste in industrial production and in administrative areas.

The necessary background understanding, the technological and administrative procedures, as well as the necessary soft skills are acquired and applied directly in practice.

The goal for the graduates is to develop themselves and the employing company in the direction of Operational Excellence.

Optimizing the value chain helps to conserve valuable resources and ensures greater sustainability in the company.

The innovative study concept is particularly suitable for masters and technicians - even without a high school diploma!

Short form	WSM
Type of study	Extra-occupational, chargeable
Standard period of study	11 semester *
Award	Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Start of studies	Winter semester
Admission restrictions	None
Lecture location	Herrieden
Language of instruction	German
Course management	Erwin Stallwitz
Student advisory service	Erwin Stallwitz
Student Services	Ralph-Peter Kappestein

_{^*Expertise and skills acquired outside of university including current professional experience can be accredited, making it possible to complete the course in just 6 semesters!}

Course flyer (German)

Brochure (German)

Module manual (German)

Study and examination regulations

Value Creation Management is accredited by the Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute ACQUIN.

Content

Value Creation Management is concernedwith the optimization of internal and cross-company value chains. Comprehensive operational improvement programs play a central role here. The concepts of Total Productive Management (TPM), Lean Management, Kaizen and Six Sigma have attracted particular attention and are widely used. All of these programs - albeit with different roots and different focuses – aim to reduce losses in production and administration in order to increase the share of value added. They are generally regarded as the most important concepts on the path to operational excellence.

Content and Structure of the Program

The part-time Bachelor programme is divided into 11 semesters in order to offer working students the opportunity to combine work, study and family life.

Basic modules

The course itself comprises 19 basic modules, which are divided into 5 compulsory modules and 2 optional module blocks. A total of 7 elective modules must be selected. Professionally qualified individuals, such as master craftsmen, technicians and technical business economists, who have already acquired competences and skills during their training, can be credited with the basic modules via defined credit procedures. In addition, this target group can dispense with the practical semester after the submission of corresponding proofs. Participants without the possibility of credit transfer can complete the basic modules comfortably in the first year through distance learning via the Virtual University of Bavaria, before beginning the continuation modules.

Advanced modules

All fundamental aspects of value creation management are covered in 16 advanced modules. In particular philosophies such as TPM, Lean, Kaizen and Six Sigma are at the forefront, but also associated topics, such as change management and methodical competencies are taught.

In-depth modules

In 8 in-depth modules including a bachelor thesis and a practical study semester, far-reaching interrelationships across the entire value-added chain and all special topics from the various corporate divisions are taught.

Target group

The part-time study course Value Creation Management offers special opportunities to employees in companies with vocational training, in particular for industrial foremen, technicians, technical business economists, but also for further training in business administration. Through their training and professional experience, this target group brings with them knowledge and skills as well as interdisciplinary qualifications so that, as a rule, the first three semesters can be credited and, if they can provide evidence of work experience, the practical semester of study can also be credited and the duration of study is only six semesters. A further advantage is that tasks from the companies can be included in practice-related study projects.

Teaching methodology and Attendance Periods

The teaching methodology is tailored to the needs of professionals!

The entire study workload is divided into three areas. Firstly, the attendance times, i.e. lectures, workshops and practical exercises in the training factory. These have been reduced to a minimum of approx. 20-30 % of the total study time, so that the participants are not absent from the workplace for too long. A balance has been created by shifting part of the study workload to the company.

The results of the projects are simultaneously incorporated into the examination performance. The time and effort spent in the company combined with independent study amount to altogether approx. 70-80% of the total study load. This allows the participant to devote the majority of time to study and to be organised to best meet the demands of everyday working life.

With regard to attendance studies, the study and lecture plan is ideally suited to participants with a national interest in studying at Ansbach University of Applied Sciences.

There are three block courses per semester, divided over the semester period. As a rule, each block takes place from Wednesday to Saturday all day, i.e. 9 working days and 3 Saturdays per semester, plus one Saturday reserved for examinations.

Each semester normally consists of four modules. One to two modules are completed per block. Between the individual blocks, the participants are located in their companies. During this time it is possible to carry out the study-specific projects in the company. These are regulated by the corresponding cooperation agreement. Participants determine the times for independent study themselves.

Campus

The CETPM in Herrieden, an institute at the Ansbach University of Applied Sciences, offers a unique learning environment with its teaching factories and teaching offices. In the training factory, students learn the latest methods and tools to bring the entire production process to a world-class format. The training factory is not limited to assembly processes but covers the entire value chain of a company.

Apprentice factory (Lehrfabrik)

The CETPM, an institute at Ansbach University, with its teaching factories and teaching offices, offers a unique learning environment in which many lecture units of the course take place. Using real-world processes, you can apply the lean methods and tools directly and experience the effects for yourself. Our experienced lecturers accompany and coach you intensively in this process. Subsequently, you will be able to apply the acquired knowledge successfully and independently in your day-to-day work.

What is the Lehrfabrik?

The Lehrfabrik is an innovative training centre in which the most important methods and tools in the environment of Operational Excellence are demonstrated, taught and trained. Just as a training workshop teaches you technical equipment, the training factory teaches you the latest methods and tools to bring the entire production process to a world-class format. The training factory is not limited to assembly processes, but covers the entire value chain of a company, from raw materials with incoming goods inspection to the shipping process. A wide variety of products for customers are produced on real machines.

Typical production structures in numerous companies are set up in the form of real machines and functioning workplaces, so that the participants can immediately identify with the environment.

Analogous to our training factory, the most important approaches and methods for achieving Operational Excellence in the administrative area (Office Excellence) are trained in the training office.

The philosophy of value creation management requires a holistic understanding of the interrelationships between internal and cross-company business processes. In order to understand the complex processes and thus recognize the wastes and losses in all areas of the company, in addition to the theoretical basics, deepening and implementation in practice is an essential component of this special course of studies. To this end, the Lehrfabrik offers the suitable environment and the necessary competence to learn the methods systematically and practically.

The Lehrfabrik offers especially for this study course

A comprehensive approach of Operational Excellence and Office Excellence (integration of Lean, TPM, Kaizen and Six Sigma)
A continuous view of the complete value chain with real machines and products or a realistic administrative environment in the office.
the complete transformation from a bad company to an exemplary one, in which the students have to implement all measures independently
Supervising and accompanying the students during the implementation of the projects in their own company.

Collaboration

Collaboration between companies and universities

The part-time course, Value Creation Management, is carried out in close cooperation with the industrial partners. The industrial partners are usually the companies in which the students are employed during their studies. The concept of the course is based on three recipes for success. Firstly, the transfer of theoretical knowledge by experienced professors and lecturers within the framework of attendance times at the university and in the training factory of the CETPM. In addition, the students supplement their knowledge with appropriate periods of independent, supported by e-learning content. An essential and new element of the course is the integration of industrial companies. Here, relevant study projects are carried out to deepen the knowledge content. These projects are determined in cooperation with the companies and carried out by the students on site. In order to ensure that graduates complete the course successfully and that there is a rapid and lasting benefit for the industrial partners, the university draws up a corresponding cooperation agreement with the participating companies before the start of the course.

Essential contents of the collaboration agreement:

Ansbach University of Applied Sciences undertakes to properly implement the study programme in accordance with the study and examination regulations for the study programme.
The industrial partner undertakes to employ the students in the company in such a way that they can develop and deepen the practical training contents and projects of the study in the individual modules. The corresponding amount of time required is specified in the curriculum depending on the module.

Collaboration agreement (German)

Entry Requirements

Qualified employees are eligible i.e. graduates of the master craftsman examination (e.g. industrial foreman) or an equivalent advanced training examination as well as graduates of technical schools and academies (e.g. technicians, business economists) and those with at least two years of vocational training and subsequent at least three years of professional experience, in each case in a field related to the course of study; or people with a general higher education qualification for university entrance or a technical college entrance qualification. In addition, proof of a completed vocational training in the technical-industrial or commercial field is required.

Consultation

Due to the special requirements of the Value Creation Management course, each applicant is interviewed in detail. Here, among other things, the talents specific to the course of study such as process-oriented thinking and the understanding of continuous improvement are highlighted. This discussion serves in particular to clarify the study workload and to point out the basic private and professional conditions, in order to ensure the success of the study.

Recognition of existing competences

For those with professional qualifications and for university graduates, there is the possibility of crediting existing competences that are already available and verifiable within the framework of vocational education and training. For example, the practical semester and, under certain conditions, the foundation modules can be credited. This may reduce the duration of study from ten semesters to as little as six semesters, i.e. three years.

Dates, registration and costs

Registration is possible from 2 May to 15 July. The course begins on 1 October.

Financing the course

Due to the special form of the course, the university incurs costs that go beyond the state subsidy for regular teaching (e.g. special teaching materials, operation of the teaching factory, working materials, teaching assignments, etc.). For this reason, a tuition fee of EUR 2.490 plus EUR 52 in student union fees is charged per semester, to be paid by the student or industry partner.

Any cost sharing or working hours arrangements during the course of study will be arranged directly between the industry partner and the student.

Information for the student on support

The tuition fees can be claimed for tax purposes as income-related expenses if the prerequisites are met. This includes working materials, specialist literature, trips to the university, etc.

Voices of our students

Martin Schnurbusch

Production Manager
Wilhelm Schumacher Ltd.

"...I now have more than 20 years of management experience in one or more automotive supply companies. The topic of value creation is therefore not new to me.

The structure of the topics of the individual semesters immediately impressed me and made me want to study value creation management.

My expectations of this course of study were very high. At the end of the first semester I can only confirm that my expectations were exceeded.

The lecturers were very well chosen because of their high level of practical experience. I am still motivated to take on this additional burden in addition to a full-time job.

I very much regret that this course of studies did not exist before! At the age of 47 it is certainly not that easy anymore."

Michael Voichtleitner

production manager
Dräxlmaier Prod. and Log. Ltd.

"I am one of the pioneers who started the Value Added Management course last Wednesday. Already at the introduction meeting, it was clear from the lecturers’ speeches, how much commitment was required to establish this course. This is also the reason why I am writing to you, because I would like to thank you warmly and all your colleagues for making this possible- and I think I can also speak on behalf of the 13 other participants.

For me personally, it feels incredibly exciting to be there! I feel a sense of pride at having arrived and initiated a positive step in life, which I have been contemplating for a long time.

The first days were led by great lecturers and we students felt very, very at ease. I think if I tell you that I was still feeling enthusiastic on Saturday at 4 pm, you can get a rough idea of my feelings.

I simply felt the need to write these lines of gratitude to you and hope you are happy to pass on our thanks to all those who have actively supported the removal of obstacles and the establishment of new ways of thinking and approaches to put lifelong learning on the right track.

Thank you very much."

Susanne Materna-Ruffershöfer

Robert Bosch GmbH

"I have no regrets at all about choosing this course.. Based on my experiences in the winter semester, it is appropriate to say that the contents are absolutely realistic and that they are taught by super lecturers. If the remaining semesters maintain this level - fantastic.

My view on this course of studies:

- Absolutely first class in terms of content

- Immediate implementation in everyday working life possible

- Topic loss and waste is absolutely internalized

- Cultural change becomes a life's work"

Klaus Schell

Technical Manager
Heinlein Plastic Ltd.

"It is important for me to combine family, career and part-time studies. I was impressed from the start by the structure of the course. The choice of topics combined with top lecturers and the high practical relevance leave nothing to be desired".