G lobal expansion and technology advances have increased the need for individuals who can solve business problems effectively in international teams.

 
Georgia College & State University students had a unique opportunity to work in an international team this summer, virtually and in person, to solve a real business problem for an organization using Design Thinking.

“This summer is the fourth year we have offered the Work Practicum in Design Thinking course and the first time that the German students and faculty traveled to work with us in Georgia,” said Associate Professor of Information Systems, Dr. Joy Godin. “This course is always full of excitement and learning for our students. It is one of my favorite courses to teach because the growth achieved by the students’ professionally, academically and personally is truly extraordinary.”

Students were trained in Design Thinking, a human-centered approach to creative problem solving, by Georgia College faculty and executives from SAP—a multinational software company.
 
They were given a strategic Design Thinking project from an organization. This year’s project was provided by Southwire, one of the largest wire and cable producers in the world. Southwire worked with Celonis, a global leader in execution management, to develop their project problem statements.
 
“Participating in the process mining workshop at Celonis with Southwire was a highlight, because I learned so much about the industry and about the possibility of a career in process mining,” said management information systems major Ryley Cole.

Students traveled to New York City to meet and work with Southwire and Celonis business process leads and attended a lunch with Infosys—an information technology company—to learn about consulting in information systems as a career.

“We really got a taste of what it’s like to work and problem solve for an organization,” said junior MIS major, Aaliyah Turman. “Working on this project has opened my eyes to all the opportunities there are in the field.”

In June, Georgia College students partnered with students from the University of West Georgia and the University of Münster in Germany to complete the project and present their solutions to Southwire and Celonis.

“Working in an international team has been a valuable experience for me because it offered unique challenges,” said MIS major Christian Davies. “This project helped me improve my communication skills, my willingness to adapt and my acceptance of other ideas. I will continue to use design thinking when trying to solve problems.”
 
Discover more about how students collaborated to use Design Thinking and international teamwork in solving a real organizational problem in the video.
 
“Working in a global team can be intimidating, especially for someone who hasn’t had the opportunity to travel a lot or experience different cultures,” said MIS Savannah Parris. “It was an exciting project…I loved how all of our different thinking styles came together when using Design Thinking and how it helped us solve the problems that Southwire is having.”