Practical project: Students develop strategies for Spiel-Bau's company expansion

The transfer of knowledge from the university to regional companies is a central concern for Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences (THB). Through practical projects with local partners, students can also participate in this exchange and gain important insights into the world of work. In the Bachelor's degree course in Business Administration, 5th semester students in the winter semester 2024/2025 were recently able to work out strategic options for a possible expansion of Spiel-Bau GmbH in the Brandenburg district of Klein Kreutz. “Spiel-Bau GmbH is a successful company that is planning to expand its turnover,” says Prof. Dr. Thomas Rennemann. The Professor of General Business Administration, in particular Organization and Logistics, supervised the project in the study module “Application of Integrated Systems in Practice”. The students outlined three options to answer the question of whether it would be possible to expand the business at the current site or whether a second site would be necessary - two of them envisaged implementation on the existing premises, while the third option considered the construction of a second site.

The students have now presented their ideas in a final presentation. For the company premises in Klein Kreutz, they showed conceivable construction measures that would allow the site to be used more efficiently. The focus here was on the creation of new storage areas and parking spaces as well as the optimization of production areas. For the variant of a second operating site, they looked for a suitable commercial area and outlined which areas could be expanded there. The students also analyzed work processes in order to be able to take specific requirements into account in the concepts. The approximate costs of the various options were also outlined.

Spiel-Bau GmbH was involved in the project throughout the semester. “They continuously supported the project from the very first lecture,” says Thomas Rennemann. There were regular status reports, an interim presentation with the management and on-site visits to the company. Representatives from the playground equipment manufacturer were also present at the final presentation. “Such projects are well suited to preparing students for their future careers,” says the THB professor. The results of the practical project with the students' ideas and suggestions were presented to the company at the end.

“The results not only show the high level of commitment of the students, but also provide us with interesting food for thought for our strategic development,” says the management of Spiel-Bau GmbH. “As a company with regional roots, it is important to us to promote the young talent of tomorrow and at the same time strengthen the bridge between science and practice.” The close cooperation and practical insights not only benefited the students, but also provided Spiel-Bau GmbH with valuable perspectives and impetus for the future development of the company. “We would like to thank the THB and the students involved for their commitment and look forward to further exciting projects of this kind.”

Press release from Technische Hochschule Brandenburg
Pictures: THB © Norman Giese