ETH Zurich Executive MBA Program Contents The following pages provide a brief overview of the structure and learning objectives of our program. The ETH Executive MBA program is an 18-month, part-time course composed of the following 4 blocks (or sets of modules): 1. General Management 2. Supply Chain Management 3. Global Economy 4. Master Thesis MBA ETH SCM
General Management MBA ETH SCM Program Info General Management The General Management block develops knowledge in the key topics of general management. The following modules lay the foundation of this MBA program. Pre-readings, lectures, and discussion are always part of the teaching methodology. Individual modules make use of other media, activities, and instructional designs. Introduction to the MBA-SCM Introduction to managing flows of material, information, and money, both within an enterprise, and through a multi-node supply chain to create value. Teaching method: simulation game with a debrief of systems dynamics, team-building exercise, lecture and discussion. Legal and Tax Understanding the interaction between business models, practice, and tax consequences. The module looks at corporate governance, legal risk management, IP strategies, merger & acquisition contracts, comparative litigation, VAT, and transfer pricing. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, case study. General Management Introduction to General management in a changing environment. This includes the principles of organization, how decisions are made, process management and strategy development. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, case study. Leadership (3 days+) The Leadership teaching is spread out over a longer period than the other modules listed here. The learnings are applied to the participant s personal situation, with assignments on Leading change, Understanding personal difference and leveraging diversity, Creating your personal leadership vision, and Perfecting the coaching conversation. Participants characterize their own leadership style, understand their own strengths and development needs, and develop a personal development plan. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, case studies, selfexamination, group work, and webinar meetings. Marketing Marketing is taught as a business philosophy, and a customer-oriented way of managing operations. This module looks at consumer behavior, how to target and position, how to create successful plans and market segmentation. Examples of how marketing affects supply chain management are presented. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, case studies. 2
General Management MBA ETH SCM Program Info Organization Concepts of organizational design theory and the processdriven organization in practice. How business processes impact performance. The arguments pro and contra business process reengineering, as well as the methodology and instruments for its implementation. Strategic management control, including the Balanced Scorecard. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, case studies, group work Accounting, Finance & Controlling An overview of controlling, and its interfaces to accounting and finance, the structure of financial statements (especially the balance sheet and income statement). How to apply financial ratios to support decision-making and solve corporate problems. Become familiar with capital budgeting criteria (NPV), learn what financial instruments are traded on capital markets, CAPM model, learn the concepts necessary to perform a business valuation. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, group work. Information Management (2 days) Understand how strategy, processes and information systems relate to one another. How can companies benefit from emerging information technologies? What are the current trends? How are other companies exploiting these technologies? What are the risks and returns? Teaching method: lecture and discussion, group case work. Negotiation (2 days) Review different styles of conflict resolution. Improve preparation for various decision-making situations. Effectively apply conversation and questioning techniques. Recognize strategies and tactics of other parties. Understand the mediation process and expand personal negotiation skills. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, exercises and role play. Innovation Management Understand technology as a basic entrepreneurial resource unit subject to active management. Review of tools available to manage technology and innovation. Contrasting the use of innovation to cost-cutting as a way out of recession. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, invited speakers, group work. 3
Supply Chain Management MBA ETH SCM Program Info Supply Chain Management The General Management block is followed by a Deep Dive in Supply Chain Management. Where standard MBA degrees often provide one overview class in Operations, our program dedicates multiple modules to teach how supply chains work and should be managed for business performance. (For convenience s sake, the Supply Chain modules are organized according to the SCOR processes, but not restricted to these categories, nor endorsing SCOR as the best structure for solution-design) SC Plan How demand planning and forecasting techniques work. Discuss strategies for supply chain partnerships and the consequences of these relationships on information flow and demand management. Understand the MRPII/ERP concept and its application in long-term as well as roughcut planning of the supply chain. Study lean management, Just-in-time (JIT), Kanban, and variant management. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, group case study. SC Source Understand the strategic importance of the procurement function of a firm, as well as the current challenges they face. Study the organizational setup and supporting technology (eprocurement) for the procurement function. Become familiar with the ingredients of a comprehensive supplier management system. Review the increasing importance of risk in purchasing and supply management, as well as an introduction to sustainability and supply management. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, role play, group case study. SC Design Understanding supply chain management in contrast to managing individual functions or cutting costs in silos. Distinguishing between tactical, operational, and strategic decision-making. Review how rational but conflicting objectives can reduce performance in a business system. Managing the uncertainty cycle and the efficient frontier. How to design the supply chain for better performance, and ultimately make it a competitive advantage. Introduction to the SCOR standard reference process model and its applications. Discussion of its individual building blocks and metrics. How to get started using SCOR in one s own business environment. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, case study. 4
Supply Chain Management MBA ETH SCM Program Info SC Make Gain a fundamental understanding of Production Planning and Control (PPC), including functions, objects, and targets, fundamental parameters governing the process, and how to design a PPC system. The basics of factory planning are presented from a logistics point of view. Interfaces to the supply chain processes SC BUY, and SC DELIVER are explored. Various companies who have implemented a factory planning project are discussed. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, group exercises. SC Control (2 days, integrated in module US Trip) The main content of this module is taught on the US study trip. Develop an understanding of what management control systems are, with an overview of the major frameworks in current use. Understand the limitations of SC control, and learn how to apply the concepts of management control to an international business operation. Understand the importance of measurement and benchmarking in the deployment of strategies. Understand how supply chain performance impacts other aspects of a company s business performance. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, group live case. strategies, business justifications, and risks of greening your supply chain. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, case study. SC Deliver (2 days) Looks at organization and trends in modes of transport along with their advantages & disadvantages. How to design transport solutions for supply chains, different types of distribution systems, storage systems, and warehouse processes. How to apply the perfect order metric to delivery performance. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, group case study. Management and SC Integration The cases taught in this module vary from year to year. They have included how to build a strategy for market expansion, how to build a business plan, and how to develop logistics strategies. Teaching method: lecture and discussion, case work. SC Return & Sustainability (2 days) Learn the key factors which drive value in reverse supply chains. How packaging affects the cost of reverse logistics. Introduction to return and repair processes, with discussion of commercial returns issues. Recycling for value capture and protection of the environment. Understand the 5
Global Economy MBA ETH SCM Program Info Global Economy Study Trips The Global Economy block focuses on how to do business in key markets of the world. Each module or trip is designed as study visits to immerse participants in the individual locations. Academic instruction is provided by an ETH partner university in the respective countries. Each trip is preceded by preparatory lecture to facilitate understanding of the local market and cultural conditions. Global Economy Introduction to international institutions like WTO and IMF. Understand the nature of tariffs, service trade liberalization, dispute settlement, and challenges to trade in the future. Understand regionalism, European integration, foreign direct investment, demographic and economic shifts, the current macroeconomic crises, and the relevance of international financial architecture to Supply Chain Management. Study trip to Russia (5 days) Hosted by Lomonossov University in Moscow, study topics on doing Business in Russia include lectures on Economy, Leadership, and the cultural environment in Russia, with company visits to Rusal, Knauf and Baker & McKenzie. Study Trip to the US (6 days) Hosted by University of Washington and led by Prof. Rod Franklin, Kühne Logistics University. Study topics on doing business in the U.S. include Strategic Dimensions of the (Boeing) supply chain, optimizing the supply chain, metrics and benchmarking. Visits to Boeing, PACCAR, Weyerhaueser and Costco. Study trip to Asia (4 days preparation + 9 days + 2 days of Asia integration) Japan Partnering with Hosei University and led by Prof. Hugo Tschirky and Dr. Urs Schoettli (former Asian correspondent of Neue Zuricher Zeitung), with lectures on Innovation, Life Cycle, and Service Management, meeting with political representatives, visits to Toyota, Nestle, Panasonic eco center, and Takkyubin transport company, comparison of Japanese service culture to European, cross-cultural management. China Partnering with Tongji University and led by Mr. Kurt Haerri, VP of Schindler and President of the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Understanding how the state manages growth with professionally-implemented planning cycles, lectures on historical economic development in the special economic zones, sourcing and integration of Chinese suppliers in the global SC, cross-cultural management, managing HR and talent, the regulatory environment, dispute resolution, R&D and other key success factors in China. Visits to industrial parks and urban planning centers as well as multinational and Chinese companies. 6
Master Thesis MBA ETH SCM Program Info Master Thesis The ETH MBA SCM program culminates in a Master Thesis. This final assignment gives each participant an opportunity to apply what they have learned to a live problem in their company. With the support of a faculty advisor, MBA candidates select a project of strategic interest to their own employers. The time invested in the Master Thesis is approximately 400 hours, spread out over 6 months, to produce a paper of up to 100 pages. This begins after all classroom work has concluded, so presence on campus is not required. During the course of problem solving and writing, participants submit periodic milestone reports to their advisor. The exercise is not purely academic, however. Upon completion of the thesis, our MBA candidates must defend the outcome solution and business result - in front of both faculty and classmates. This final learning experience at ETH tests executives in procedure, method, know-how, and presentation. The best thesis from each class is eligible for the Hilti award, and (see Till Heidemann s story on his Thesis), the solutions have brought substantial business value to employer as well as participant. Till Heidemann s Success-Story Examples of prior Master Thesis topics: «Identifying organizational enablers for a sustainable lean Transformation» «Impact of current economic crisis in Southern Europe on consumer goods: An example from the healthcare consumer industry» «Transformation of a humanitarian logistics organization into process driven operations» «Necessary culture change for the successful implementation of production System» «European network analysis optimization of logistics costs in expanding sourcing & sales markets towards Eastern Europe» «Analyze the European supply chain of a medical technology company regarding cost, efficiency and risk» 7
Interested in our program? Visit our website or attend our Open Days & Info Sessions Check our event dates at: www.mba.ethz.ch Contact MBA ETH SCM Weinbergstrasse 56/58 CH 8092 Zurich mbainfo@ethz.ch + 41 44 632 28 53 ETH Zürich, May 2014