Pictured above: (l-r) Dr Peter Rayson (Associate Dean, Birmingham City University) David Maguire (Pro-Vice Chancellor, Birmingham City University) Martin Gollogly (Director, University Alliances, UK, Ireland and Benelux, SAP AG) David Tidmarsh (Vice-Chancellor, Birmingham City University) Mel Lees (Executive Dean, Birmingham City University) Parmjit Chima (Head of School Engineering, Design and Manufacturing Systems, Birmingham City University) Ardavan Amini (Course Director, Birmingham City University)

Through close collaboration with Birmingham City Council and the University Alliances division of German-based global industrial software giant SAP, Birmingham City University has launched its 'Institute of Innovation for Enterprise Systems'.

Birmingham City Council (BCC) is the world's largest, local-authority user of SAP enterprise systems software. The University's partnership initiative with BCC and SAP's University Alliances program has resulted in a significant, joint commitment which will develop a unique knowledge-base in the City. This SAP-based resource is also expected to attract significant national and international business interest.

In conjunction with its partners, Birmingham City University's newly-created Institute of Innovation for Enterprise Systems, will develop a wide range of projects. At its core is the new MSc Enterprise Systems Management. This unique course is designed around SAP certification and will particularly attract the many students from the UK and overseas, wanting to familiarise themselves with the software of the enterprise systems leader whose programs are used widely by major businesses and public services worldwide.

The course encompasses the four key elements of Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Relationship Management, Business Intelligence and Business Objects. Students will also be enabled to gain the valuable, extra official SAP Certification known as TERP10. The course incorporates a thesis project which a student can select from a range proposed by SAP's major local users, including Birmingham City Council.

Parmjit Chima, Head of the University's School of Engineering, Design and Manufacturing Systems says: "This is an academically robust postgraduate degree to help students understand the value of modern management information systems in the widest possible business context, as well as the importance of integrating all the systems a business employs. We are offering scholarships that will provide successful student applicants with an SAP grant of £1,000 towards their fees. Apart from high quality teaching materials, students will also benefit from a fund to develop interactive media."

Among other projects planned for the new Institute is a further postgraduate degree aimed at meeting the needs of local major SAP users enabling them to specialise in a particular aspect of SAP. In addition to this, the Institute is also planning to develop the use of SAP applications both on iPads and iPhones to benefit both students and commercial users. The Institute will also work with major local SAP-customers to develop instructive case studies of value to students and other potential company users. In due course research degrees will be initiated leading to PhDs covering enterprise systems management related topics, particularly in the public sector. The University is also piloting an initiative that can benefit SMEs using Enterprise Systems Management applications using new emerging technologies such as cloud computing. 

The University's has also created a dedicated 50-student SAP-teaching facility opened jointly by Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Paul Tilsley and the University's Vice Chancellor, Prof David Tidmarsh.

Cllr Tilsley said; "This project is a superb collaboration between SAP University Alliances, Birmingham City University and Birmingham Council. Birmingham is the world's largest local government SAP-user. This will be an invaluable local resource to support the development of our digital economy and reinforce the depth of ICT skills necessary to support modern local public services. I also believe this is a blueprint for future collaborations between business, academia and the public sector."

The Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment's Associate Dean, Peter Rayson said: "SAP likes Birmingham City University's active and successful 'can-do' approach which has brought the Faculty extensive engagement with businesses of every size and type. Our extensive portfolio of engineering, logistics, manufacturing and management related courses is highly complementary to SAP's business software portfolio and of significant value to the pioneering work planned for the new Institute."