ENG: ICV Newcomer Award 2019 for the master thesis „Agile@Controlling“

11/18/2019

The ICV Newcomer Award 2019 was presented on November 16 in Berlin: the first prize went to Daniel Braun and Jakob Merz from the WHU - Otto Beisheim's School of Management, Vallendar, for their master thesis: "Agile@Controlling. How can Controlling Support Different Degrees of Agility in Organizations?", supervised by Prof. Dr. Utz Schäffer; the 2nd prize went to Gernot Domes from the University of Applied Sciences Carinthia, Villach, with the master thesis: "The Effects of Digitization on the Functions of Controlling in the Context of Industrie 4.0, Using the Example of Companies Producing Locally", supervised by Dr. Alexander Sitter; the 3rd prize to Anna Adam from the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, Stuttgart, with the bachelor thesis: "Agile Target Costing in the Semiconductor Industry on the Example of Infineon Technologies AG", supervised by Prof. Dr. Roman Stoi.

The winners come from the WHU, the University of Applied Sciences Carinthia, Villach and the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University

Berlin/Munich, 16.11.2019 – The ICV Newcomer Award 2019 was presented on November 16 in Berlin: the first prize went to Daniel Braun and Jakob Merz from the WHU - Otto Beisheim's School of Management, Vallendar, for their master thesis: "Agile@Controlling. How can Controlling Support Different Degrees of Agility in Organizations?", supervised by Prof. Dr. Utz Schäffer; the 2nd prize went to Gernot Domes from the University of Applied Sciences Carinthia, Villach, with the master thesis: "The Effects of Digitization on the Functions of Controlling in the Context of Industrie 4.0, Using the Example of Companies Producing Locally", supervised by Dr. Alexander Sitter; the 3rd price to Anna Adam from the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, Stuttgart, with the bachelor thesis: "Agile Target Costing in the Semiconductor Industry on the Example of Infineon Technologies AG", supervised by Prof. Dr. Roman Stoi.                                                       

Close combination of science, teaching and practice

The Jury Chairman, Prof. Dr. Nicole Jekel, Professor at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin, presented the ICV Newcomer Award at the conference Controlling Inspiration Berlin - CIB 2019 together with the Jury and with the Vice Chairman of the ICV Matthias von Daacke. In her laudatio, Professor Jekel explained, "For the practical further development of controlling, the intensive exchange with universities and other training institutions is necessary. In this sense, we would like to acknowledge the performance of newcomers who have already developed innovative scientific solutions to practical problems of controlling during their studies." She thanked all the participating students and their professors for caring for practical relevance in their teaching and research. "For the controlling practice, it is very important that students not only deal with theoretical concepts and methods during their studies, but also with their practical application and resulting problems."

Twelve participants from all countries in the DACH region submitted their final papers. They covered the whole spectrum from classical controlling instruments such as cost accounting and budgeting to risk management to agility and digitization. In addition, the submitting institutions also covered the entire breadth of the university spectrum, which, according to Professor Jekel, speaks for a broad acceptance of the Newcomer Award in the higher education landscape.

Jury members honor the winning works

To the Jury led by Prof. Dr. Nicole Jekel belong: Gerhard Radinger, trainer of the CA Controller Akademie; the volunteer member of the ICV for many years Dr. Walter Schmidt from Berlin; Christina Keindorf, Head of Group Controlling DB Group (CC), Head of Controlling Group / Service Functions (CCH) and Managing Director Usedomer Bäderbahn, Chief Financial Officer DB Barnsdale AG, Managing Director DB Competition Claims GmbH, and Ute Schröder of the controlling benchmarking circles.

The Jury - as in previous years - laid down their decision on solid criteria: In addition to the scientific foundation, the decision was mainly concerned with the practical relevance of the problem, the direct applicability of the developed concepts, the innovation degree of the theses and compliance or critical approach of the work to the perspective of the ICV.

Jury member Gerhard Radinger gave the laudatio for the 3rd prize winner: Anna Adam from the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University with her bachelor thesis "Agile Target Costing in the Semiconductor Industry Using the Example of Infineon Technologies AG", supervised by Prof. Dr. Roman Stoi.

The thesis is a good mixture of theory and practice, a combination of controlling classic (target costing) and modern topic (agility). Here, an independent and innovative concept for agile target costing in the semiconductor industry has been developed. The work was convincing in particular in the practical part, thanks to the detailed analysis of the situation in the training company as well as by the exemplary implementation of the developed conception on a concrete chip development project, which showed measurable successes. The innovative approach consists of the classic target costing process linked with agile methods of organization and project management. This makes it possible to incorporate success-relevant needs and the willingness of customers to pay at the beginning of product development. According to the "fail-early-principle", first development results could be evaluated iteratively in order to be able to adapt them quickly and flexibly, if necessary also taking the market's permissible costs as well as customer requirements into account.

The juror Christina Keindorf held the laudatio for the 2nd prize winner: Gernot Domes from the University of Applied Sciences Carinthia, Villach, with his master thesis " The Effects of Digitization on the Functions of Controlling in the Context of Industrie 4.0, Using the Example of Companies Producing Locally" supervised by Dr. Alexander Sitter.

On the basis of empirical studies, the thesis answers the question if and how the local production companies are prepared for the changes in the functions and areas of controlling in the course of ongoing digitization and Industrie 4.0. This problem is based on an existing maturity model for digital transformation in controlling, which the author independently expanded to be able to derive specific recommendations for manufacturing companies. "Mr. Domes thus combines theory and practice in an exemplary way."

Jury member Dr. Walter Schmidt honored the 1st prize winner: A joint thesis submitted by Daniel Braun and Jakob Merz from the WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, "Agile@Controlling. How can Controlling Support Different Degrees of Agility in Organizations?", supervised by Prof. Dr. Utz Schäffer. “Both authors did not only take the trouble to arrange the multiplicity of partly conflicting agility definitions. They also understood the double definition of agility - external expectations and internal principles of order - in an intuitively understandable matrix. This is a creative achievement in itself that deserves special recognition. By combining both dimensions with the idea of flexibility, they create an agility framework where the diverse aspects of corporate and organizational leadership can be integrated", says Dr. Schmidt. However, the authors went one step further and showed that agility is not an "all or nothing" task, but that it can be applied to different content and organizational structures in a differentiated way. "With their matrix, the two authors provide practical controlling with an easy-to-use tool in order to be able to determine both the degree of agility claims and those of its implementation," says Dr. Schmidt. "I hope that this matrix will spread quickly. Only rarely the well-founded scientific knowledge and practical usability come so close together."

The award, which has been given annually since 2005 and endowed with a total of 4,050 euros, was once again sponsored by Haufe Verlag and the Haufe Akademie this year.

The ICV (International Association of Controllers) has in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and 12 other countries in Central and Eastern Europe around 6,000 members active in practical controlling. The key objective of the ICV controlling philosophy is reaching permanent economic success. With its honorary chairman Dr. Albrecht Deyhle the Association, founded in 1975, has shaped the controlling in German speaking countries placed and influenced. The ICV merges controllers, CFOs, managers and scientists and it is strictly oriented on its members’ benefit. Experience, communication and being focused on future-oriented trends are foundations of the ICV. The ICV combines practical experience with the latest research results and prepares its knowledge for practical implementation. The ICV makes personal contribution to the success of its members and to the sustainable performance of companies. Prof. Dr. Heimo Losbichler, FH Steyr, is the Chairman of the ICV, Vice Chairman of the ICV is Matthias von Daacke, BLANCO GmbH & Co. KG.

For more information:

  • H.-P. Sander, ICV Press, EastWestCom, Ammersee Denkerhaus - Coworking Space, Sonnenstr.  1,  D-86911 Diessen am Ammersee, Tel. +49-(0)176-63 722 680, presse{bei}icv-controlling.com 
  • ICV, Office, Münchner Str. 8, D-82237 Wörthsee, Germany, Phone +49-(0)8153-88 974-20
  • www.icv-controlling.com