MMag. Adelheid Mayr
Graduate year 2009 and Application Consultant, IT Retail, Swarovski KG, Wattens/Tirol
- Why did you decide to attend the master degree program ERP Systems & Business Process Management? What makes it such a special program in your eyes?Some years ago I studied International Economics and Business at the University of Innsbruck, but after graduation I worked in the IT field and in project management. To build on and expand on this knowledge base, I wanted to continue my studies in a master’s program in which I could combine my passion for economics with information technology. And I knew it would have to be a part-time program because I did not want to give up my job. Ultimately, the logical choice was ERP Systems & Business Process Management at the FH Kufstein. The program appealed to me above all because of its focus on current, market-related business processes and ERP systems, which are very common in today’s small, medium-sized, and large companies.
- Which courses have you attended so far and what have you learned in or through them?In the area of business process management, Dr. Martin Adam holds the lectures. Dr. Adam, as a Six Sigma Black Belt, has a lot of experience in process modeling, process analysis, process design, and process optimization, which he integrates in his lectures. In the area of ERP, we have learned to work effectively with SAP, Semiramis, Helium V and Microsoft Navision.I have also attended courses on constructing ERP databases, on working with and processing data with business intelligence systems, on e-commerce and e-procurement, as well as on project management and conflict management – to name just a few subjects from a very broad spectrum. For the seminar Strategic Management we traveled together with our director of studies, Prof. Ewald Jarz, to Montreal, Canada, for one week. There we visited several interesting companies and learned about the Canadian way of doing business.
- Have you already worked on any projects at the FH Kufstein? What did the projects deal with? How did you contribute to the projects?So far I have been involved in two practical projects. For the company Egger in St. Johann in Tyrol we developed a relation matrix between prevalent best-practice frameworks for IT and guidelines such as ISO, ITIL, and COBIT. For selected issues in various areas we also compiled reference processes. In the context of the second project we tested the ERP software Helium V – which will soon become available as open source – with respect to its complete functionality and integration into existing modules. I should also say that besides learning to operate professionally in projects, I, in the role of work package leader, learned how to coordinate different activities and guarantee an on-time delivery of the results.
- In your opinion, to what extent is it possible to combine one’s studies, job, and private life?It is a real challenge, especially when you are working a full-time job. After coming home from a day of work, you have to motivate yourself to sit down and study for the next examination, prepare on the home-study assignments, or do some work for a project. But I think you learn pretty quickly to use the little free time you have more efficiently and intensively. It’s actually a great situation in which to apply the principles of effective time management. In my opinion, without the support and understanding of your friends, family, and employer, it would be very difficult to study part-time. In my case I had to travel abroad for several weeks at a time, and in order not to miss too much of my studies, I also needed the special support of the director of studies, the professors, and my classmates. And I should add that my private life and my studies have been very much enriched thanks to my amazing classmates.
- What career prospects do you have as a result of your studies at the master’s level?Through my studies I was able to enlarge my personal knowledge base and improve my working methods and performance. I think that with such a background, many more doors will be open to me. After all, well-qualified people are in high demand, especially in areas like consulting, IT, and commerce. My studies here at the FH Kufstein have helped me build a sturdy bridge from the field of economics, which I initially studied, to the IT field, my current field of work. Over the last two years, I have learned a lot about the subject matter and also about myself personally. Looking back now, I can say without a doubt that it was the right choice.