8 July 2025

Practical business game inspires students at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences

On 4 July 2025, the AKI Forum 1 at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences was transformed into a lively production hall: a lean workshop was held as part of the Operational Production Management module, in which students on the Master's degree programmes in Industrial Engineering and Management (WIM) and Product Engineering and Production (PEP) were introduced to the practical challenges of modern production.

The workshop centred on the fictitious company "Powerworld" - a manufacturer of wind turbines that had got into financial difficulties due to inefficient processes. The aim of the business game was to make the company profitable again with the help of lean methods.

The participants became part of Powerworld's value chain and produced model wind turbines as a team. The gradual switch from traditional workshop production to efficient flow production and the targeted use of lean approaches such as KANBAN, One-Piece-Flow, 5S, Poka Yoke and SMED made it possible to streamline processes, increase productivity and improve customer satisfaction.

The workshop was organised and implemented by the students Ms Anderie and Mr Theilmann - a successful example of individual responsibility and the application of theoretical content in practice.

In addition to the technical knowledge gained, there was also plenty of fun to be had: the participants were highly committed to the event and together were able to demonstrate impressively how modern production methods can make a lasting contribution to a company's success.

"The workshop shows how important it is to combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience. Our students not only applied lean methods, but also demonstrated teamwork, initiative and problem-solving skills - exactly what counts in industrial practice," says Dr Christoph Brodhun, course representative for the Master's degree programme in Industrial Engineering and Management.