Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTING A Company of the DaimlerChrysler Group Take up the challenge of an MBA qualification without interrupting your career Consulting and production expertise from professionals Master of Business Administration International Lean Manufacturing Consulting (MBA-ILMC) A cooperative venture between the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences and LMC Lean Manufacturing Consulting Ltd accredited by
The relevance of this unique MBA programme Throughout the world industrial companies are facing higher requirements for product quality, faster delivery times and a pressure for cost-reduction. From this it follows that the need for the optimisation of production processes has also grown internationally. Production processes have to be seen in relation to the broader challenge of creating a lean enterprise. The need for external as well as internal consultants in this field is continuously increasing. Experts able to handle the complex issues involved in lean manufacturing and familiar with the appropriate consulting and problem-solving tools are rare and in great demand. Therefore the professionally related course of studies is specialised and tailor-made for the further educational requirements of graduates who intend to develop or focus their professional careers in production or production-related areas and who aim to supplement their existing experience with the latest consulting tools und state-of-the-art knowledge. Imparting know-how in group-work, presentations and case studies facilitates the understanding of the solution proposals in concrete terms as well as in their realisation. The students are able to effect a direct implementation in their professions of the tools and skills learnt in the course. The participation of experienced company executives as well as professors from our partner universities abroad ensures the outstanding quality and topical relevance of the subject matter and teaching methods. Apart from the advantages of conveying general management expertise in relation to practical application and providing key qualifications the specialised focus on lean manufacturing consulting offers the students unique skills distinguishing them from other MBA graduates. The organisers LMC Lean Manufacturing Consulting Ltd LMC Ltd is a company of the DaimlerChrysler Group within the Mercedes-Benz Technology Group. The mission of LMC is to facilitate the internationalisation of the industrial and productionrelated consulting and planning capacities. LMC's first priority is to offer consulting skills across the product development process to customers in automotive manufacturing. LMC has offices in Europe, South East Asia and the USA. The successful "lean manufacturing concept" means: production efficiency is the sum of optimised production processes plus efficient factory and industrial facilities plus qualified personnel and managers. The principles of LMC's "lean manufacturing" are shaped in such a way that they can be adapted not only to the optimisation of various production processes but also to production-related areas such as logistics, quality control, maintenance, etc. These principles can easily be adapted to all sectors outside the automotive industry. The Ludwigshafen University The Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences is a public institution which was founded in 1971. The present number of students is approximately 2,600, of whom 11% are students from other countries, representing about 36 nationalities. The University offers science-based but at the same time application-oriented education. It is active in industrial research, development and technology transfer, and is strongly involved in the field of further education. All programmes offered are management related. The INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTING The Institute for International Management Consulting is part of the Ludwigshafen University and was founded in 1995 with the first MBA courses in the whole of Germany to emphasise management consulting and to offer the qualification of MBA - International Management Consulting (MBA-IMC ). The Institute is active in Germany and Switzerland and also pursues cooperation with universities and companies abroad for purposes of international expansion. Up to the present day more than 200 graduates have completed their studies. They give evidence of the successful implementation of the programme by their impressive careers after graduation. This also reflects industry's need for academically qualified and experienced consultants specialising in management consulting and lean manufacturing.
Target groups for this MBA programme The MBA-ILMC is directed towards professionals and graduates from all areas of study. The applicants should ideally already have gained some experience in production or production planning, however this is not a precondition. They should be internationally-oriented, wish to consolidate their lean manufacturing knowledge and to connect this with general management expertise relevant to consulting. Possible future target positions after graduation are production expert, consultant or executive manager in manufacturing companies. Advantages for MBA students The course of study is designed to be of practical relevance and the subjects are taught by experienced consultants imparting their knowledge in a compact form on the basis of examples and case studies from projects. In this way the participants gain quick and intensive access to the state-of-the-art knowledge of productionrelated management consulting. At the same time they acquire general management consulting skills. Experience has shown that the students and their companies can profit directly even in the very first stages of the course. A further advantage derives from the professional title. In most countries the profession of management consultant is not officially defined. A training programme focusing on the specific requirements of this profession and leading to a nationally and internationally acknowledged academic qualification is the best guarantee of credibility distinguishing the graduate from the sometimes inferior or dubious competition in the consulting market. Even for managers who do not intend to become consultants it may be worthwhile considering enrolment in the MBA-ILMC as consulting skills are highly relevant for the business leaders of today. Foreign students are given special support in the preparatory stage as well as throughout their courses of study. An alumni network and regular events ensure that contact among the participants in the course as well as with the Institute for International Management Consulting and with LMC is maintained. The magazine "Unternehmensberater" (Management Consultant) offers students and alumni a communication platform and the possibility for inter-company and inter-disciplinary exchange of ideas and discussions. The MBA degree bestows upon the graduate a recommendation to higher education committees and the possible entry to doctorate studies. In cooperation with the University of Lincoln (GB) the Institute for International Management Consulting offers a PhD-programme for interested graduates wishing to continue academic research and studies. Advantages for companies Companies enabling their executives to participate in the course increase their attractiveness as employers by offering young executives an academically founded and internationally recognised course of further education without long periods of absence from the job. The company benefits from interdisciplinary discussions among participants from Germany and other countries. In addition, valuable possibilities for exchange and cooperation with the Institute for International Management Consulting, the LMC Ltd and other cooperating organisations are offered. The competencies taught in this course, including problem-solving techniques, team-capabilities, intercultural competencies and project-management know-how, are of great relevance in today s business world. The graduates who have learnt such skills are able to assume a wide range of leading positions in companies or within consulting projects or units. The expertise and the decisiveness of such MBA graduates are very valuable assets for their companies.
Programme and course information The course is designed on a part-time basis and consists of four semesters with a total of 64 attendance days in the first three semesters. The fourth semester period is reserved for the completion of the final thesis. With a few exceptions, attendance is at weekends (Friday and Saturday, all day), which results in a minimum of disruption to professional duties and obligations. Semester Duration Location 1 st semester beginning of September end of January: Ludwigshafen / Stuttgart / Bangkok nine weekends spread through the semester plus a five-day block at the Chulalongkorn University in Thailand 2 nd semester mid-february end of June: Ludwigshafen / Stuttgart / Ann Arbor, Detroit nine weekends spread through the semester plus a five-day block at the University of Michigan in the USA 3 rd semester beginning of September mid-december: Ludwigshafen / Stuttgart nine weekends spread through the semester 4 th semester no attendance required time reserved for according to the convenience of the student, the MBA thesis not necessarily Germany Course content Introduction to international management consulting (4 days) - Trends in international consulting markets - Basic introduction to international project design in consulting - Internationalisation of activities of a company as a consulting product - Relevance of international management and intercultural - communication for internationally operating consulting companies Fundamentals of general business studies and economics (4 days) - Overview of the business functions in companies - External and internal accounting and controlling - Investment and financial management - Economics for consultants Lean Manufacturing I + II (20 days) - Emergence and effects of Lean Manufacturing (LM) - Relationship of the effects in the different areas of a company of the whole LM process - Design of a lean company - Fundamentals of LM in production industries - Fundamentals of LM in service industries - Implementation of a production system - Company control according to LM - Organisation of supply chain according to LM - Consolidation of the LM methods in Summer and Winter Schools in Thailand and the USA - Benchmarking comparisons from selected companies, also international
Consulting process (10 days) - Consulting services marketing and assignment acquisition - Realisation and quality control Management of consulting firms (4 days) - Strategic management - Organisation - Human resource management - Financial management - Operations - Quality management Law of management consulting (2 days) - Legal structure of consulting firms - Legal aspects of the client-consultant relationship - Legal aspects of international consulting activities Communication skills in consulting (6 days) - Techniques of negotiation and presentation - Moderating techniques and conflict management - Intercultural communication Psychology in consulting (2 days) - Psychology of the management of consulting teams - Psychological aspects of the client-consultant relationship Ethics in consulting (2 days) - Business and consulting ethics Scientific methods (2 days) - Contents and methods of research - Use of scientific information Optional foreign language (8 days) - Normally business English or German
Course method and language The courses are given in a format similar to management training with a combination of short presentations, workshops, work in small groups and case studies. The courses are held in English. Examinations take place throughout the course - ie at the end of the semester in which a specific module has been completed. Experience in various cultural contexts Two five-day blocks will be organised as Winter School in Thailand at the Chulalongkorn University and Summer School in the USA at the University of Michigan. The objective of these events is the deeper understanding of approaches towards lean manufacturing consulting in different cultural contexts. In addition tours and visits to various production companies provide the students with benchmark and best practice examples and offer opportunities for practical learning. The personal benefits derive from exchange and contact with the international groups of students at the local university campuses which open up possibilities for informal student and expert exchange, discussions and networking. Course lecturers Consulting The lectures are given by consulting industry professionals (eg from Accenture, Bearing Point, DaimlerChrysler, Horváth & Partners, IBM-Consulting, Roland Berger etc) and professors with many years of consulting experience. The lectures are project-based using up-to-date teaching methods. To supplement the lectures there are guest speakers from the consulting industry. Tuition in two-day workshops given by active professionals ensures direct knowledge transfer of the course subject matter into practice. Lean Manufacturing Senior project leaders and internationally experienced managers together with well-known professors give the lectures in lean manufacturing issues. Additionally there are guest speakers who are at the leading edge in the lean manufacturing business. MBA thesis The final academic work is the MBA thesis as the final part of the fourth semester to achieve the MBA degree. The thesis is an important vehicle for MBA students to show their abilities to express original thought, creative skills and independent achievement. It is expected that the majority of theses will require well-balanced research together with practical application eg a case study or the development of a consulting product. Management of the MBA programme The head of the MBA-ILMC course of study is Professor Dr R.-Dieter Reineke, Ludwigshafen University. The project leader from LMC Lean Manufacturing Consulting is the Managing Director, Mr Michael Müller. Study locations The location of the Ludwigshafen University The location of Ludwigshafen in the heart of Germany gives it a very good strategic position. Mannheim is just across the River Rhine, the historic city of Heidelberg is only some 20 miles away and it is only about 50 miles to Frankfurt/ Main. West of Ludwigshafen is the 'Pfaelzer Wald' - the Palatinate Forest - as well as the Deutsche Weinstrasse - the German Wine Road. This is one of the largest and best-known wine areas in Germany. There are many leisure possibilities and relaxing sites.
The quality of the curriculum as well as the relevance and the delivery of the training are controlled by an Advisory Board consisting of leading executives from relevant business associations and the consulting industry. A Course Committee gives the students the opportunity to influence actively the future development of the course. Accreditation The MBA-ILMC is accredited by the Foundation for International Business Administration (FIBAA), an officially recognised accreditation agency for German speaking countries, authorised by the German Government. The standards of FIBAA are in line with those of major Anglo- American accreditation agencies. FIBAA is a member of EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development). For further information on the value of the accreditation in an international context please see the website www.fibaa.de. Entry requirements Entry requirements are usually a first university degree and three years' work experience. In exceptional cases students without a university degree can be admitted, based on an entry examination and at least five years of relevant work experience. Knowledge of the English language is essential to follow the courses, which are held exclusively in English. Applications for the winter semester can be submitted at any time during the year. For a successful application an early submission of the application form is recommended. Fees The fees amount to 3,500 plus VAT for each of the four semesters. Costs for registration and confirmation are 87 per semester. Travel and accommodation costs are additional to those already stated. Organisations granting scholarships for the programme can be found on our homepage. If German students can prove that the course of study is professionally necessary the expenses can be declared as professional expenditure and are fully tax-deductible. Considerable taxsavings result from this in the individual case. Students from non-eu countries For visa and immigration information the German Embassy in the home country can be contacted or a list of the relevant institutions and contacts can be requested from the Ludwigshafen University. Industrial placements and other kinds of employment in Germany during the course of study do not require a work permit. Such employment would however have to be in accordance with the aim of studies. Study locations The location of the DaimlerChrysler learning centre Haus Laemmerbuckel is a training facility for DaimlerChrysler executives located 40 miles to the south of Stuttgart. The learning centre is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for professional instruction and study. The availability of accommodation as well as leisure-time activities makes it an extremely attractive location for the MBA students.
Master of Business Administration MBA-ILMC Quotations Andreas Ilka, Key Account Executive, ABB (China) Limited, Beijing Office "The foreign students are well prepared for later activity in our globally operating business by an optimal combination of theory and practice. This enables especially international students to achieve a fast re-integration back into professional work in their respective native countries." Raschid Bouabba, graduate MBA-IMC, Managing Director, Master Consulting Group Berlin GmbH "What makes this MBA so valuable? It is the wide transfer of the subject matter into practical terms and the completely unique combination of consulting skills for internal and external consultants on a very high level. I would be very happy to return to Ludwigshafen at any time." Information and application Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTING Ernst-Boehe-Str. 4 67059 Ludwigshafen GERMANY Phone +49 621 52 03-250 or -251 Fax +49 621 52 03-257 E-mail ilmc@fh-ludwigshafen.de For further details, special events or workshops and current programme modifications please check our website www.mba-ilmc.de