Cyclic and Holistic MIM Framework for SMEs Considering Ambidexterity Manufacturing Innovation Management for SMEs (MIM4SME)

Institute

Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Betriebswissenschaften (TUM-ED)

Type

Semester Thesis / Master's Thesis / Student Job /

Content

theoretical /  

Description

Background

Manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) face the challenge of efficiently operating existing processes, known as exploitation, while simultaneously developing new ideas and innovations, known as exploration. This balance, referred to as organizational ambidexterity, is a key success factor for sustainable innovation capability.

Existing approaches to Manufacturing Innovation Management (MIM) are often fragmented. While individual process steps and methods are available, there is a lack of an integrated, cyclic overall framework that systematically incorporates ambidexterity and is practically applicable for SMEs.

Within the MIM4SME project, key terms, processes, and dimensions of MIM and ambidexterity have already been defined. In addition, a method for analyzing and designing organizational ambidexterity, including an assessment tool, design guidelines, and a selection mechanism, has been developed. These elements are now to be integrated into a coherent overall framework.

The methodological foundation of the framework is based on the Process Design Methodology (PDM), which structures the overall process, and the Munich Model of Methods (MMoM), which supports the selection and allocation of suitable methods. Both are established approaches that you will become familiar with as part of the thesis.

Objective

The objective of this thesis is to develop a cyclic and holistic MIM framework for manufacturing SMEs that systematically integrates the method already developed within the project for analyzing and designing organizational ambidexterity into a continuous MIM process.

The focus is not on developing new assessment or design methods, but rather on embedding, linking, and applying the existing methods within a consistent process framework. This includes the process logic, the allocation of methods, and the relevant interfaces within the company.

The result will be a visually representable “big picture” for SMEs: a framework that illustrates how exploitation and exploration can be managed from both an organizational and a process perspective. The framework will also serve as a basis for subsequent validation in real SME cases.

Tasks

▪ Derive a cyclic MIM process model based on existing approaches from the literature and the available project results

▪ Integrate the existing method for analyzing and designing ambidexterity, including the assessment tool, design guidelines, and selection mechanism, into the MIM process, specifying when and how often it should be applied and how it affects the individual phases

▪ Select and assign suitable methods to the individual MIM phases using the Munich Model of Methods (MMoM)

▪ Define key process interfaces, such as MIM and product development or MIM and production, including information flows and handover points

▪ Consolidate all elements into an overall framework that can be visually represented

▪ Validate the framework with experts from research and SME practice

Requirements

Requirements

▪ Degree program in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Management and Technology, MEC, or a related field

▪ Interest in process and method design as well as framework development

▪ Structured and conceptual way of working, with enthusiasm for interdisciplinary work

▪ Initiative, independence, and reliability

▪ Basic knowledge of qualitative research methods, such as interviews and content analysis, is an advantage

Possible start

sofort

Contact

Caroline Colsman
caroline.colsmaniwb.tum.de