bwCloud 3 – OpenStack-based “Infrastructure-as-a-Service” platform

The University of Mannheim is assuming overall responsibility and project management for the currently ongoing “bwCloud 3” project and is compiling the results in the following work packages: WP4 (Support), AP0 (Business Model and Project Management), and AP6 (Further Development and Operations), with the latter focusing on the infrastructure established at the Mannheim site.

For more information on the “bwCloud 3” project, please visit the Statewide Service’s project page.

XARA – AI-powered dialogue training in virtual or mixed reality

The goal of the project is to introduce, promote, and evaluate the AI-supported dialogue training program “XARA,” with a focus on testing it within research, teaching, and administration at the University of Mannheim. XARA offers the ability to generate custom avatars and conversation scenarios by using AI. Test participants can then go through these scenarios. Through the use of AI, interactions with the avatar are evaluated in real time, allowing for dynamic interactions to be rehearsed virtually.

During the test phase at the University of Mannheim, relevant scenarios will be entered by faculty members. The UNIT provides the support, licenses, and infrastructure for the use of XARA. Ultimately, an informed decision will be made regarding its future widespread use at the university. The project manager at UNIT is Stephan Struk.

Business Travel Management – Launch of an Online Portal

In order to make the processes and activities relating to business travel clearer and more efficient, an online business travel portal is being introduced for business travel management. This will gradually replace the existing forms used for registering  and reimbursing business travel. In addition, the portal will replace the system used by the travel expense department to calculate travel expenses. The applications used for this purpose are HIS RKA, for calculating travel expenses, and HIS QIS RKA, for the portal itself. Both applications are part of the human resources management module within the University-ERP¹⁾ of HIS²⁾. 

eFile – Electronic (Student) File

As part of the general digitalization strategy of the University of Mannheim, the eFile project team works on introducing the document management system (DMS) d.3ecm for the university, an electronic file system, and an electronic process for student administration. The project's goal is to digitally consolidate information that is only available in decentralized form, to make process handling more efficient, and to facilitate data access for users.

EduSpace – Flexible Infrastructure for Teaching

The goal of the project was to create a classroom that allows for a quick and seamless transition between lecture-style instruction and creative group work. A cross-departmental team from the Center for Learning and Teaching (ZLL), the University Library, and University IT (UNIT) developed a flexible concept for this purpose, featuring reconfigurable furniture and integrated video technology.

The infrastructure makes it possible to transform the room from a plenary setting to project islands for up to 40 people in just a few minutes. This supports hybrid collaboration and methodological diversity without technical compromises. After 18 months of development, the EduSpace is now available for regular use in innovative teaching formats and can be booked via Portal².

BelWü – University of Mannheim in the State Higher Education Network

BelWü is short for “Baden-Württemberg’s extended LAN” and is the data network of all academic institutions in the Land of Baden-Württemberg. It creates a link between universities, higher education institutions, cooperative state universities, other academic and public institutions, schools, as well as public libraries. BelWü was conceived as a University IT service spread out over the entire Land, and we are delighted to be part of it.

bwCard – Smart Cards for Universities

The goal of the project was to design a federation that would enable each institution to integrate the other’s smart cards into its own digital processes and services. To this end, common rules and the technical infrastructure were established. During the course of the project, exemplary services were tested and future developments were explored. In addition, the bwCard Production Consortium was established, which—by pooling expertise and infrastructure—offers the state’s academic institutions a simple and cost-effective way to issue their own smart cards.

The bwCard project was successfully completed and transitioned directly to regular operation.

Computer-Based Facility Management

Facility management requires the use of various systems and processes, which can be supported by digital solutions. For example, the “migration from HIS Bau to the CAFM software Morada” helped optimize operations at the University of Mannheim by enabling work processes to be designed more efficiently and allowing analyses of the structural and technical characteristics of all buildings to be presented in a single step. This allows decisions regarding repairs or new acquisitions to be made more quickly and provides a clearer overview of life-cycle and building operating costs.

E-Invoicing – Digital E-Invoicing Processes for Universities

The “Introduction of E-Invoicing for the FreiMann Consortium” project worked on a solution for the Universities of Mannheim and Freiburg that enables the efficient processing of all invoices and the optimization of their existing processes. The project team developed the digital e-invoicing processes for the universities. By subsequently connecting the universities to the European PEPPOL network, electronic invoices could be sent as e-invoices.

Invoicing parties can find more information on the practical sending of e-invoices on the Finance Department’s page on the intranet.