Center for Very Large Business Applications
(carried out at the TU Munich)

Context
The Center for Very Large Business Applications (CVLBA) is a joint research initiative of the Technical University of Munich and the Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, which was initiated by SAP in 2006. The SAP AG's decision to promote research with these two university partners resulted from the cooperation experiences and knowledge transfer that took place through the joint implementation of the SAP University Alliances project. SAP wanted to invest in the potential that could be realized by increasing the research resources of the Chair of Business Informatics in Magdeburg and the Chair of Business Informatics in Munich. In the more than twelve years that the UCCs have been in operation, extensive experience has been gained in the operation of Very Large Business Applications (VLBAs), especially Enterprise Resource Planning systems. This experience and infrastructure provide ideal conditions for research into next-generation VLBAs and service ecosystems.
Benefit
The Center for Very Large Business Applications offers the unique opportunity to combine the competencies of the SAP UCC (University Competence Center) and the innovation and research capabilities of the Technical University of Munich, thus making a significant contribution to the SAP ecosystem.
Project Objective
The centers' goals are the integrated study of Very Large Business Applications (VLBA) and their underlying technologies. The research is focused on the entire life cycle of VLBAs and addresses their planning, design, operation, and management. The interdisciplinary approach is essential to improve both the efficiency and quality of business information systems development and their underlying business processes. The expected benefits of the centers' research outcomes include improvements in the management of the deployment and life-cycle process, increased user satisfaction, and the delivery of improved as well as enhanced functionality to the marketplace including respect to software and related products.
Implementation
Current research along the VLBA life cycle includes:
1. VLBA Planning:
Bei der Planung der Einführung einer neuen VLBA stellt sich die Frage, wie eine VLBA effektiv zur Unterstützung von Geschäftsprozessen eingesetzt werden kann. In einem Projekt werden die Herausforderungen bei der Ausgliederung von VLBAs analysiert, um daraus Gestaltungsempfehlungen für zukünftige IT-Plattformen von Unternehmen abzuleiten.
2. VLBA Design:
The design and implementation of a VLBA go beyond classic software engineering. Advanced challenges include managing the development process and integrating VLBA components with each other as well as with the IT environment. One project is investigating ways to integrate business simulations into VLBAs to enable customized business processes.
3. VLBA Operation:
The efficient and effective operation of a VLBA is essential to the economic success of an organization. The research focuses on minimizing the use of resources without compromising the quality of a VLBA's functionality.
4. VLBA Management:
Organizations face continuous changes, e.g., in their own structure or due to their environment. To ensure the successful support of business processes, VLBAs must also face this challenge. A research project looks at software-as-a-service-ERP-solutions and provides recommendations for their implementation.
Involved Partners
Sponsor

SAP SE Doctoral Funding
Search & People Search
Location & approach
The campus of TU Dortmund University is located close to interstate junction Dortmund West, where the Sauerlandlinie A 45 (Frankfurt-Dortmund) crosses the Ruhrschnellweg B 1 / A 40. The best interstate exit to take from A 45 is "Dortmund-Eichlinghofen" (closer to Campus Süd), and from B 1 / A 40 "Dortmund-Dorstfeld" (closer to Campus Nord). Signs for the university are located at both exits. Also, there is a new exit before you pass over the B 1-bridge leading into Dortmund.
To get from Campus North to Campus South by car, there is the connection via Vogelpothsweg/Baroper Straße. We recommend you leave your car on one of the parking lots at Campus North and use the H-Bahn (suspended monorail system), which conveniently connects the two campuses.
TU Dortmund University has its own train station ("Dortmund Universität"). From there, suburban trains (S-Bahn) leave for Dortmund main station ("Dortmund Hauptbahnhof") and Düsseldorf main station via the "Düsseldorf Airport Train Station" (take S-Bahn number 1, which leaves every 20 or 30 minutes). The university is easily reached from Bochum, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Duisburg.
You can also take the bus or subway train from Dortmund city to the university: From Dortmund main station, you can take any train bound for the Station "Stadtgarten", usually lines U41, U45, U 47 and U49. At "Stadtgarten" you switch trains and get on line U42 towards "Hombruch". Look out for the Station "An der Palmweide". From the bus stop just across the road, busses bound for TU Dortmund University leave every ten minutes (445, 447 and 462). Another option is to take the subway routes U41, U45, U47 and U49 from Dortmund main station to the stop "Dortmund Kampstraße". From there, take U43 or U44 to the stop "Dortmund Wittener Straße". Switch to bus line 447 and get off at "Dortmund Universität S".
The H-Bahn is one of the hallmarks of TU Dortmund University. There are two stations on Campus Nord. One ("Dortmund Universität S") is directly located at the suburban train stop, which connects the university directly with the city of Dortmund and the rest of the Ruhr Area. Also from this station, there are connections to the "Technologiepark" and (via Campus Süd) Eichlinghofen. The other station is located at the dining hall at Campus Nord and offers a direct connection to Campus Süd every five minutes.
The AirportExpress is a fast and convenient means of transport from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Dortmund Central Station, taking you there in little more than 20 minutes. From Dortmund Central Station, you can continue to the university campus by interurban railway (S-Bahn). A larger range of international flight connections is offered at Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is about 60 kilometres away and can be directly reached by S-Bahn from the university station.
The departments of TU Dortmund University are spread over two campuses, the larger Campus North and the smaller Campus South. Additionally, some areas of the university are located in the adjacent "Technologiepark".
Street navigation from and to the TU Dortmund University:
The document and the graphic represent the motorways and federal highways around the TU Dortmund University in a very simplified way:
This interactive map helps you find and navigate between facilities and buildings on campus:
This document contains a simple campus map in German and English: