On Tuesday, 20 November 2019, UCLan Cyprus students of MBA and BA (Hons) Business Administration, accompanied by the Course Leaders of MBA programme, Dr Panayiotis Kontakos and of Accounting and Finance, Dr Isabella Karasamani, as well as Mr Panikos Sardos, Module Leader in Operations Management Strategy, visited the Photos Photiades Breweries Ltd, one of the largest and most successful, responsible and fastest evolving family business groups in Cyprus and throughout the Balkans.

The students attended an insightful presentation on the company’s operations, logistics, processes, systems and facilities delivered by the senior management team, including Dr Kyros Demetriades, Quality Assurance Manager, Mr Andreas Panteli, Brewing Manager, Mr Mike Michaelides, PPB Packaging – Operations and Maintenance Manager, Mr Marios Haridimou, MIS Manager and Ms Theoni Pilavaki, Senior Brand Manager.

Further, students had the opportunity to engage in a Q&A regarding the scope of operations and logistics and the degree of integration of core business processes and activities achieved via the implementation of SAP ERP system.

Photos Photiades Breweries has grown to a total capacity of over 30 million litres per year, producing Leon and Krauzer Brau Beers along with Carlsberg. It is the leading brewery in Cyprus and one of the most successful of Carlsberg’s breweries worldwide.

The educational field trip started with a visit in the remarkable first Cyprus Museum of Natural History, continued with a tour inside the company’s production facilities and the new – latest technology – Brewhouse and ended with fresh beer testing.

At the School of Business & Management, UCLan Cyprus, as part of our study of the module Operations Management & Strategy, we organize an annual cycle of educational business field trips for our students. In particular, we are interested in visiting plants, manufacturing industries, operations research institutes and logistics centers, both in Cyprus and overseas.

The objectives of the trips are to provide opportunities to:

• enhance students’ understanding of business operations;
• allow students to see the application of theory in practice;
• enhance classroom learning and discussion through a live case study;
• engage in work related assessment;
• undertake primary research through direct observation and discussions with the operations managers.