The Practicum Project

November was a fun and eventful month. Working in the Consumer Insights & Sales Division at Janssen, the pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson as part of the Management Analytics Practicum has been an enriching experience so far.  My team and I are currently trying to identify the most effective communication channels which will ensure that patients get access to the most effective form of treatment. I believe that by helping Janssen solve this problem, our work will be very impactful and add tremendous value to society. 

Extracurricular Activities

Amidst the numerous assignments, practicum work and the midterm exam, I managed to find time to be involved in a lot of extracurricular activities, something that is really important to me. 

I represented the MMA program at the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Re-Accreditation Review through which I got an opportunity to interact with the Dean of IE Business School and share my experience at Rotman, an experience that has truly been life changing!

As the MMA representative for the Rotman Business Analytics Club, I was involved with organizing the RBAC Analytics in the Wild Speed Networking event to help connect eager analytics enthusiasts at Rotman with industry professionals. It was great to see so many organizations implement analytics in various departments of their organization. 

Soon after this, a few selected MMA students were chosen by RBAC to meet Brian Keng, Chief Data Scientist at Rubikloud over dinner at The Keg Steakhouse. This was definitely a great experience and opened our eyes to the endless possibilities of application of Advanced Analytics in the retail domain. We learned about how to build scalable AI and Machine Learning systems to provide robust solutions to core business problems. 
This was then followed by the much-anticipated event, the Rotman Student Awards Breakfast Reception where awards were given to the most promising talent entering Rotman. It definitely felt good to be a part of this event and see a lot of my fellow MMA classmates here as well. 

The L’Oréal Supply Challenge

A big part of the B-School experience must be participating in case competitions. My team consisting of 3 MMA students got an opportunity to represent Rotman at the finals of the L’Oréal Supply Challenge at the L’Oréal Canadian headquarters in Montreal. We were one of the 10 teams selected from across Canada. Our strategy to improve their omnichannel retailing experience by optimizing the existing Supply Chain using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning was well received. Working on this helped me understand the endless possibilities of using Advanced Analytics in solving business problems. My main take away from interactions with the Vice Presidents and Directors at L’Oréal was that the most important part of solving problems is to take a step back and think without constraints and only then check if the solution proposed is feasible. 

We then participated in the Rotman Negotiation Challenge. To prepare for this, we got to attend an interesting workshop conducted by the Stitt Feld Handy Group and learn some great tips and tricks to negotiation. I believe that negotiation is an important skill that one needs to learn before stepping out into the corporate world and I got to hone my skills through this experience. 

We ended the month on a high note at the Diwali Bash held at The High Park Club by the Rotman South Asian Business Association. It was a night filled with loud groovy Bollywood music, dancing, yummy Indian food and some wonderful memories; definitely the best way to wrap up a busy month! 

The Master of Management Analytics is designed to give students the advanced data management, analytics and communication skills needed to become an analytics professional.