Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

1. Field of work and areas of responsibility 

Certified technical business management specialists have the professional skills necessary for finding solutions to specific technical and commercial problems in company operations.  They are qualified to perform in particular the following related tasks independently and on their own responsibility:
Management and leadership of company processes while bearing in mind such aspects as cost, benefit, quality and deadlines; management of projects and provision of relevant technical and business support; coordination at the interface of technical and business processes; provision of guidance and support for staff and process participants.

2. Occupational skills 

Certified technical business management specialists command knowledge, skills and experience which they have as a rule acquired through relevant vocational training and several years of practical work. In order to perform the above-mentioned tasks, they command the following skills among others:
 
2.1 Business operations and performance
- Aspects of general economics and business management, e. g.

• consideration of business cycle and economic policy
• description of the objectives and institutions of the European Union and of international economic organizations
• consideration of the parameters for determining site and legal form
  - Accounting
• consideration of financial accounting as part of business accounting
• analysis of annual accounts
• application of cost accounting systems
• consideration of business taxes in corporate decision-making
  - Financing and investment, e. g.
• analysis of financial processes
• preparation and performance of investment appraisal
• benefit analysis
• assessment of different forms of financing and preparation of financial plans
  - Materials management, production and marketing, e. g.
• command of marketing tools
• assessment of product life cycle, involvement in product planning
• application of procurement policy instruments and demand assessment methods, command of procurement processes
• command of the various materials flow and storage systems and of logistics concepts
• assessment of systems for production planning and control.

2.2 Management and leadership
- Organization and business management

• planning concepts
• organization development
• project management and personal planning techniques
• integrative management systems
• chairing and presentation techniques
  - Personnel management, e. g.
• personnel planning, recruitment and development, personnel management and performance appraisal
• labour and social law
  - Information and communication technologies, e. g.
• data protection and data protection law
• selection of IT systems and introduction of user software
• media-related communication networks and systems.

2.3 General technology-related part of the examination
In the general technology-related part of the examination the candidates must prove their ability to recognize, describe, assess and solve complex practice-related problems at the interface of technical and commercial operations in the enterprise.

3. Skills accreditation 

According to the Federal Government regulation of 22 November 2004 (Federal Law Gazette BGBl. Part I p. 2907), the certified technical business management specialist must have demonstrated the skills listed in section 2 above in an examination administered under public law with a focus on practical application and job-related skills. A certificate is awarded on passing the examination.

4. Examination requirements 

Before sitting the examination the candidates must have passed the final examination for master tradesmen in industry (Industriemeister) or a comparable technical master tradesmen's examination, or they must have passed a state-recognized examination for technicians or the examination for technical management specialists (Technischer Fachwirt) or a state-recognized examination for engineers including at least two years' relevant work practice.
Courses are offered to prepare candidates for the examination; their duration depends on the various functional and managerial tasks.

Last modified on: April 27, 2007