The practical seminar will take place in a hospital in Karlsruhe such that the students are confronted with real problems. The target of this seminar is to develop solutions for these problems using well-known methods of Operations Research. Consequently the students' ability to analyze processes and structures, to collect relevant data as well as to develop and solve models will be promoted.

Processes in a hospital are often grown historically (“We have always done it this way”), so that there has not been the need to analyze processes until reforms of the health system have put increasing pressure on hospitals. Consequently, nowadays hospitals look for possibilities to improve their processes. The students are confronted with case studies and are asked to develop a solution. Therefore they have to collect and analyze relevant data , processes and structures. When developing the solution the students have to bear in mind that besides the economic efficiency also the quality of care and patient satisfaction (e.g. measured in waiting time) may not be neglected in the health care sector.