Assignment 📑

🧑‍🔬 DI in Industry (DIiI)

Andy Weeger

Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences

February 13, 2024

Task

During the semester you will be required to

  • gain insights into different application domains of digital innovation;
  • research an organization in a specific industry, its challenges and how it addressed these by means of developing and introducing a digital innovation;
  • present defined interim results at defined dates (see timetable);
  • summarize your findings in a seminar paper (case research study);
  • receive and process feedback after each presentation; and
  • listen to the presentations of your fellow students and give constructive feedback.

Paper

The seminar paper is composed of following elements

  • Summary/abstract
  • Introduction (hook)
  • Industry (characteristics, challenges)
  • Company (overview, specifics)
  • Problem
  • Approach (innovation process)
  • Solution
  • Discussion (explanation)
  • Lessons Learned (recommendations)
  • Appendix (methods)

Industries

The case should focus on a digital innovation in one of the following industries

  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing
  • Construction
  • Logistics/transportation
  • Retail
  • Professional services
  • Entertainment

Presentations

You will present your interim results repeatedly throughout the semester

  • Ideas (brief intro to two to three digital innovations)
    GATE — assignment of the topics
  • Industry & company (characteristics & challenges)
  • Problem, approach and solution (development & implementation)
  • Discussion (theoretically grounded explanations and leassons learned)

For dates please see the schedule

Formal requirements

Seminar paper

  • Use the template offered here
  • The paper should be at least 12 pages long and must not exceed 16 pages
  • The paper must be uploaded as PDF (Moodle)

Presentations

  • Summary of the main points
  • At least one question you want to have feedback to
  • Max. 7 minutes
  • No formal requirements on the slides
  • Slides must be handed in as PDF (Moodle)

Evaluation criteria

An case study that matches expectations has the following characteristics

  • The intro makes the reader want to read further
  • All relevant aspects of the industry are highlighted
  • The reader is able to picture the company and understand its actions
  • The key situation of the case is fully elaborated and complete
  • The DI, the process and its relations to the industry are well outlined
  • Theory-based explanations of the mechanisms of the innovation are given
  • The recommendations given as well as their rationale make sense
  • There are very few errors, the writing is clear, and easy to read and engaging
  • The methodology is elaborated and the sources are evident

An example for inspiration (not for copying)

Bonus points

You can earn at max 5 bonus points.1

The bonus points are assigned based on continuity and quality of your contributions to the exercises and discussions with our guest speakers.

The bonus points can improve your performance by up to two grade increments (up to .3).

A note on grades

Grade Meaning
1 — very good A truly outstanding achievement that (not only) shows no deficiencies in the criteria mentioned, but also gives both the supervisor and external assessors an excellent impression.
2 — good Work that exceeds the average requirements/performance and is easily recognizable and presentable to the outside world as a “good performance”.
Note 2.5 is the average of passed assessments, i.e., an “average performance”
3 — satisfactory A performance that achieves the desired goal “to a satisfactory extent”; however, deficiencies can be identified here and there.
4 — sufficient A performance that “still adequately satisfies” the requirements, but deviates from the expectations placed on it in several ways.
5 — not sufficient A performance that does not meet several of the criteria mentioned.

Q&A

Footnotes

  1. The bonus points are only taken into account when determining the module grade if it results in a better module grade and the original module grade is at least “4.0”. Participation in the bonus course is voluntary. For details, please see the general examination regulations of the HNU (APO).