Ateneo - UPO

Corporate hierarchical structure. Roles, duties, and priorities. Workflows. Gantt charts, use of dashboards to monitor KPIs and OKRs, workload distribution, and workflow monitoring. Tools for analyzing individual and team performance. Practical use of PMO (Project Management Organization) software. Creation, optimization, implementation, and monitoring of workflows within management software. Artificial Intelligence tools for defining strategic and operational plans. Basic use of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software.

No textbook provided, the course consists in a workshop, the students will learn how to use specific digital tools (software, apps, dashboards) to monitor and manage workflows and projects. Slides are provided to support the teaching activity, which remains secondary to the practical work.

Students will learn the workflows, dynamics, processes, and digital tools essential for managing the priorities, objectives, and timelines of a complex, structured workflow within an entrepreneurial or corporate project. They will be assigned the task of simulating the founding and management of a hypothetical start-up, replicating the dynamics and workflows of a real-world business venture. The use of software, apps, and artificial intelligence will enable them to perform complex tasks in a manner which is typical of a modern, mid-sized company, while learning to use digital tools in a professional and pragmatic way.

Students must have a basic understanding of the company's organizational chart, the duties and responsibilities of senior management roles, and corporate management mechanisms.

Individual and team workshops, exercises requiring the ability to apply research methods, artificial intelligence tools and other sources; collaborative activities requiring basic communication skills and the ability to present technical concepts (economics, finance, marketing, management); preparation of reports and documentation in digital formats.

The course is structured as an ongoing workshop, featuring both learning and practical sessions in every lecture. Consequently, lecture attendance is mandatory in order to take mid-term tests and contribute to the group project, which cannot be completed without the contribution of every individual. Each student will be assigned a role based on their aptitudes, background, and inclinations, entailing specific tasks, duties, priorities, and responsibilities. The course aims to replicate a corporate structure and the workflows that senior-level roles must manage and monitor, in pursuit of a shared business objective. Both individual and group work will be carried out with the aid of digital tools (AI, CRM, PMO). No additional expenses or costs for purchasing software and apps are to be considered; preference is given to using beta versions, free versions with a temporary access, or free tools.

Learning assessment takes place during each lesson through ongoing assignments (drafting documents, populating dashboards and databases, and the practical use of digital tools such as PMO and CRM software). The final assessment occurs during the last lesson and consists of a comprehensive project incorporating the work produced by each student throughout the course, accompanied by an oral presentation and a practical demonstration of the results achieved.

Corporate hierarchical structure. Roles, duties, and priorities. Defining primary, secondary, qualitative, and quantitative objectives. Reference frameworks (SMART, Eisenhower Matrix, SWOT, Gantt, GROW, etc.). Techniques and tools for creating workflows (individual, team, and enterprise-wide). Concepts of ROI and time-for-money; using dashboards to monitor KPIs and OKRs. The importance of workload distribution and techniques for defining assignment parameters. Monitoring workflows and schedule variances. Schedule adjustment and realignment systems. Individual and team performance analysis tools and associated dashboards. Practical use of PMO (Project Management Organization) software. Creating, optimizing, inputting, and monitoring workflows within management software. Artificial Intelligence tools for defining strategic and operational plans. Basic use of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software.

The systematic class attendance, the completion of interim assessments, and the final project (which is evaluated for the award of the 2 associated ECTS credits) ensure an all-round understanding of the dynamics and workflows of a typical mid-sized company. This provides students with a clear, pragmatic view of the objectives, workloads, and performance metrics relevant to their future professional roles. Familiarity with frameworks, assessment techniques, and goal-setting—combined with the use of digital tools that are increasingly central to modern business—enhances adaptability and the ability to adjust quickly to new environments. Should students join companies where these practices and tools are not yet in place, they will possess a strategic and operational advantage; they will be able to effectively manage, improve, and monitor both their own productivity and that of their team, thereby substantially increasing their strategic contribution relative to existing staff and other candidates for the same role.