Chair of Logistics Management

Introduction to Python and Programming – held by Alexander Hess

The main purpose of this course is to make the student familiar with basic concepts of programming and Python (one of the most important languages used at the moment). This prepares the student for further courses, for example, in Data Science, Machine Learning, or Web Development.

Students taking this course in the past reported that they could use what they learned in summer internships as well, in particular when they worked in start-ups.

Seminar Smart Cities

This seminar deals with various aspects of smart cities: deployment of sensor technology, policy design, city logistics concepts. Students analyze benchmark studies such as Singapore and examine to what extent the smart city concept can contribute to the benefits of the ongoing urbanization.

Sustainable Urban Transport

In this course, we will explore modern means of transport for both people and goods. Recent examples include the somewhat controversial e-scooter, the Berlkönig, a ride sharing service which is being offered in Berlin or Moia, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, which is currently active in Hamburg. We will assess these modes of transport in terms of their contribution to sustainability, operationalized as the triple bottom line (planet / people / profit). Transport is among the biggest emitters of CO2 and particulate matter, therefore solutions to curb these emissions are urgently needed. We will study international developments to understand the driving forces behind innovative transportation technology; for instance, it will be interesting to learn why Norway has, globally, the biggest share of electric vehicles.

Transportation Management – held by Honorary Professor Jürgen Ringbeck

Transportation is one of the fastest growing global industries. Travel and logistics are the major backbone of our global business and a core element of private life. The objective of this course is to give a comprehensive introduction into the challenges and best-practices of management and principles of global industry players like passenger airlines or logistics companies. Such management best-practice includes a deeper understanding of the underlying industry dynamics, and the outline of superior strategies as well as commercial and operational management methods of selected industry segments. The course will also highlight some specific management approaches which illustrate a way to a long-term sustainable industry.

Designing and managing the global supply chain

Logistics has grown from a purely functional orientation to become a key enabler of global supply chains. To achieve this, logistics needs to be integrated within the firm as well as across boundaries from suppliers to manufacturers to customers. As companies tend to focus on their core competencies, deverticalization of the value chain entails which necessitates coordination of logistics activities. Logistics is not only concerned with flows of goods and cash, but also – to an ever increasing degree – with the flow of information. Hence it is natural that IT systems play a crucial role to achieve what has been called the 4Rs – that is, the right product at the right place and the right time at the right price.

Sustainable Operations Management

Sustainability is emerging as a key concern for businesses, not least because of the agreement which was reached in the COP21 meeting in Paris in 2015. Thus, it is imperative that students are familiar with sustainability assessment tools. Case studies on successful sustainable companies highlight key challenges and solution concepts.

Operations Management

Operations management is about designing, managing, and improving the activities involved in creating products and services and delivering them to customers. A great workshop offered by Porsche Consulting introduced the students to the importance of quality management in a very hands-on fashion: the process of assembling a pocket lamp was improved step-by-step along the lines of the Toyota Production System principles. Gregory Bryan, Director Operations at Amazon, illustrated why Amazon is so successful and how that relates to operations and supply chain management.

The Analytics Edge

Through analytics companies can improve their competitive positioning. With big data emerging in many areas, new tools based on statistics and machine learning become a necessity. In this course, we will use R to employ these tools and discuss the respective benefits.

Both The Analytics Edge and the Operations Management courses which are popular in the full-time MBA program are offered in the part-time MBA program, too.

The Analytics Edge

Through analytics companies can improve their competitive positioning. With big data emerging in many areas, new tools based on statistics and machine learning become a necessity. In this course, we will use R to employ these tools and discuss the respective benefits.

Data Analytics

This course provides an overview of modern machine learning methods such as regression, tree-based methods, artificial neural networks and support vector machines. Unsupervised learning such as clustering and principal component analysis are also discussed. Lastly, visualization techniques are introduced as a useful means of communication.