The week before Christmas, I had the privilege of delivering a lecture for the Supply Chain Management course at IU International University of Applied Sciences in Munich. A big thank you to Johannes Pohl for the invitation and to the great group of students for an enriching experience.
During the session, I had a powerful realization: IBP (Integrated Business Planning) isn’t something you can simply teach – that’s not enough.
Here’s how the learning unfolded:
1️⃣ 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞:
I began with slides and shared a wealth of information about IBP. While the students were highly engaged, it felt like we were only scratching the surface.
2️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞:
I invited questions, and the session took a deeper turn. The discussion became more focused and meaningful, uncovering essential IBP challenges and sparking new insights.
3️⃣ 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬-𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞:
Later, we worked on a practical IBP dashboard. Students began connecting the dots to their own organizations, understanding cross-functional interdependencies, and exploring how IBP can address real-life tensions. We examined facts, assessed impacts, identified organizational needs, and developed action plans – all through real-world examples.
4️⃣ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤:
One person in the room likely learned more than anyone else: 𝓶𝓮. Explaining IBP, receiving pinpointed questions on areas that were still „vague“ in my explanation, and hearing students’ real-life examples gave me several “aha” moments. Concepts I’ve been working on for years became even more clear.
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