MSc in Through-life System Sustainment

Overview

This course provides an essential foundation for future leaders in organisations who wish to optimise the value-in-use and cost-in-use for long-life engineering assets such as planes, trains, ships, vehicles, power plants, machine tools, buildings etc.

Many of the premier UK industrial organizations are increasingly dependent upon Through-life Engineering Services (TES) to compete, gain market share, generate revenue and profit. This course offers through-life thinking to enable change leaders in organisations to embrace new and integrated approaches to develop superior through-life support capability to meet shareholder and stakeholder demands.

Who is it for?

Developed by Cranfield University in conjunction with Rolls-Royce and Bombardier Transportation, this MSc has been designed for individuals at organizations where there is a growing emphasis on revenue being derived from providing the services that keep products operating effectively, rather than the design, manufacture, and delivery of original equipment (hardware). The individual will be engaged in a discipline related to through-life management, support, asset management, and/or maintenance. The course is relevant to TES-dependent organizations, engineers, business administrators, logistics, finance and commercial practitioners.

We aim to enhance your skills and address the need for highly trained individuals involved in the support of complex equipment and systems. The skills gained in the course is expected to contribute to the achievement of competitive advantage for your organization. The course is structured to allow maximum benefit from learning with minimum time away from the working environment.

Focused on educating leaders in the fields of through-life engineering services systems, design and planning, maintenance assessment and operations management, engineering and technology including condition-based maintenance and health management, standards and regulation, information technology, contracts and policy, life extension, and obsolescence management, cost modeling and control.

Why this course?

There are two major themes within the Course:

• The business context: this aims to define the business opportunity, capabilities required, plan the business change to move to TES, and analyse the provision vs consumption trade-off.
• The execution activities: this focuses on the design and delivery of the processes and activities that make up the delivery and consumption of TES, and how to optimize the value proposition across the supply network.

The course ultimately aims to promote an integrated capability across these two themes in organizations in order to increase efficiency and competitiveness. There are additional benefits of the course:

• A commercial approach to excellence: Organisations seek out streamlined processes to enable them to be more efficient, improve quality and be more cost-effective. The Through-life System Sustainment course brings together expertise across several disciplines to inform industry and help organizations to stay ahead of their competitors.
• Learning from the best academics and industrial practitioners: You will be taught by industry-active research academics with an established track record in product-service and maintenance systems, and through-life engineering services. Industry practitioners teach alongside academics with a view to providing real-life examples of solutions and challenges.
• Outstanding facilities: A vast range of specialist software applications are available for use, such as PLM, AnyLogic, Witness, SAP, and CAD. There are also a number of physical facilities around degradation assessment, integrated vehicle health management, and autonomous maintenance.
• Flexible study options: This course allows you to fit your studies around your existing life and work commitments so you can gain a postgraduate qualification while continuing your career. Projects can be undertaken with your organization offering additional benefits to your employer.
• Networking opportunities: Our considerable network of contacts – both in the organizations we work with and in the network you will be part of with your fellow students and as one of our alumni - gives you the opportunity to build useful connections

Course details

The MSc course comprises eight assessed modules (in the form of six assignments and two exams), in which students gain an understanding of the world-class business practice, an industry-led group and an individual project. Students are also supported through individual coaching and an online learning platform.

Your career

Successful completion of this course takes you onto careers with higher levels of responsibility, a broader base of skills and capability and a greater level of professionalism.