University of Stuttgart

With the help of MR.KNOW - BPM, the University of Stuttgart successfully digitised its doctoral management and was thus able to both meet the legal requirements and create efficient administrative processes and a service-oriented system. Thanks to the modular extensibility of MR.KNOW, future digitalisation projects can also be implemented with little effort.

With around 22,000 students and 5,300 employees, the University of Stuttgart is one of Germany's leading technical universities. Its vision “Intelligent systems for a sustainable society” is reflected in the interdisciplinary “Stuttgart Way” as well as in the consistent digitalisation of central administrative processes.

One important project was the introduction of a new software solution for doctoral management – with the aim of making administrative processes more efficient and reliably fulfilling the reporting obligations under the Higher Education Statistics Act (Hochschulstatistikgesetz, HStatG). Further processes include space and building management, the procurement of event materials as well as numerous specialist Picture process models.

Digitalisation with foresight

With the selection and introduction of the new software solution, the University of Stuttgart is pursuing a strategic approach in line with its digitalisation goals. The focus is not only on meeting legal requirements – such as the automated data reporting under the Higher Education Statistics Act (HStatG) – but also on the further development of the entire doctoral system towards a modern, service-oriented and quality-assured system.

Goals of digitalisation in the doctoral system

The main goal is the reliable and automated fulfilment of the annual reporting obligations to the State Statistical Office in accordance with HStatG. In addition, a number of important secondary goals were defined that are central for the University of Stuttgart:

• Support despite scarce resources: The solution should make it possible to realise a broad range of services even with limited personnel capacity.
• Quality assurance: The software should help to establish uniform standards, document processes and continuously improve the support of doctoral candidates.
• Work relief: A high level of user-friendliness and well-thought-out processes should increase the satisfaction of the faculties' staff.

Selecting a suitable solution

To implement the requirements, a technically powerful platform was needed that complements existing system landscapes, works database-supported and can flexibly map complex processes. It was also crucial that the applications remain easily adaptable in the future through the use of the BPMN 2.0 standard. The possibility of extending existing Picture models for automation was also an important point. The choice fell on MR.KNOW, a NO-CODE-BPM platform that provides all the required functions: structured data management, rule-based process control, integrated document management with versioning as well as seamless integration into existing infrastructures.

MR.KNOW – BPM

Based on MR.KNOW - BPM, a complete digital process for the “admission to the examination and conduct of the examination” was realised. The focus was on a structured, database-supported implementation with clear roles, processes and documentation requirements.

Various modules of the software were used, which together form a continuous and scalable solution. A dialogue-based main process enables the structured recording of relevant data as well as automated task distribution. The underlying table structure serves to systematically map all required information. Flexible import functions are available for taking over existing data. The registration of external reviewers and the submission of reviews can also be digitally mapped via specific processes. The integrated document management offers functions such as versioning, management of retention periods as well as convenient upload and download processes. The system is complemented by user-friendly master data maintenance and comprehensive evaluation and list generation, which supports efficient control of the processes.

Document management with clear structures

A particular focus was on the digital management of doctoral-related documents. Among other things, the solution takes into account requirements such as the traceability of edits, version-based saving of content, differentiated access rights and the option of uploading by representatives. Different retention periods and later automated deletion are mapped by the system. The document management is based on a structured table solution with processes for upload, download and version display – viewable at any time by authorised persons, audit-proof and without a deletion option by users. If required, the solution can be extended with further fields or integrations – for example with an archive.

NO-CODE-BPM for maximum independence

A key advantage of the MR.KNOW solution lies in the NO-CODE-BPM technology. This allows different approaches from classic process management, including the BPMN 2.0 standard, to be combined with low-coding and AI. MR.KNOW thus makes it possible to model and execute processes and generate interfaces without programming knowledge – ideal for organisations that want to operate and further develop digital processes internally. The University of Stuttgart thus benefits from high flexibility: new requirements can therefore also be implemented more quickly in the future.

Added value for the University of Stuttgart

The solution used not only offers simple and intuitive operation, but also increases transparency and traceability within the processes. Participants automatically receive tasks, are reminded of delays, and can create evaluations at any time at the push of a button. The current status is viewable at any time for authorised persons. Changes are logged by the system, documents are stored with versioning – a reliable basis for long-term quality assurance and data protection.

Thanks to the modular extensibility, the solution remains future-proof: further functions and processes can be added with minimal integration effort – always in line with the University of Stuttgart's aspiration to design intelligent systems for a sustainable society.

Conclusion and outlook

With the introduction of the software solution from MR.KNOW, the University of Stuttgart has taken a decisive step towards a future-proof administration of doctoral management. The new solution not only supports the reliable compliance with legal reporting obligations, but also increases the efficiency of administrative processes.

The software provides the basis for further digitalisation projects that are already being planned. It thus becomes part of a digitally supported, interdisciplinary and responsible university development.