Students in the Master's programme in International Management who chose Prof. Dr. Lachmann's elective course in International Sales Management this semester had the opportunity to participate in a special learning format towards the end of the current semester. Together with internationally experienced procurement expert Steffen Rohwer, a one-day workshop simulated the typical process of awarding large contracts in international B2B business.
The students worked as decision-makers in five different internationally active companies and took part in a tendering process that is common in these cases. The setting in this simulation was particularly practice-oriented: it involved the procurement of rotor blades for large wind farms. The students had to decide on product features, price levels, service components and other parameters in "their" company, which were then incorporated into a realistic offer. And the whole thing was conducted in English, as is customary in international business. Steffen Rohwer, who is familiar with such procurement processes thanks to his professional experience in several industries, supported and coached the students.
At the end of the semester, Prof. Lachmann's students agreed: "With this method, we learned more and, above all, in a more practical way than is possible in traditional courses, because we gained our own realistic experience in a specific industry."
*Procurement experts
**Business-to-business
