Presenting Student Work to a 'Real' Mock Board

The Capstone course in Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program is designed to introduce students to enterprise applications integration, a key topic for any chief information officer. Students are divided into groups and given case studies to review and dissect before formulating their own solutions to the problem at hand.

The groups deliver a final presentation to a mock board of advisers, made up of members of the MSIT Industrial Advisory Board. 

Angie Mah (MSIT '21) and Mayur Naidu (MSIT '21) were part of a group with Patrick Gendron (MSIT '21) that received a case study on a mid-sized US manufacturing plant that faced multiple organizational and technical obstacles. Mah and Naidu reflected on the project, what they learned from the experience, and how they hope their time working on the capstone will help them advance professionally. 

 

What challenges did the company in your case study face and what were your proposed solutions?

Angie Mah: The company faced multiple internal organizational inefficiencies such as bad communication between teams, a culture of distrust, and high administrative costs, all of which led to high technical debt. Our three-pronged solution was to implement a central company-wide data governance policy, implement a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that would help the organization’s information flow in a meaningful way, and rebalance teams that were contributing to the highest amounts of technical debt.

 

What were the most important lessons you learned from your capstone experience? 

AM: It was surprising to find that our solution was half technical and half culture-based. It was just as important to reorganize IT systems as it was to get teams and people to align and work together.

Mayur Naidu: It also helped us apply the knowledge we learned from all courses, brainstorm as a team, and present our ideas in front of an experienced panel.

 

How would you describe the final experience of presenting your solutions to a mock board? 

AM: The mock presentation was an invaluable opportunity to practice my skills in front of seasoned board members and receive critical feedback and pointers on effective methods and content. It was helpful to see my fellow classmates’ work and how others chose to present their content, as well as to see board member responses. One interesting aspect was receiving feedback on how to present to a board via video conferencing versus in-person.

MN: Additionally, we learned that the board invests its trust in the people and its confidence instead of proposed solutions. We all know that a problem can have multiple solutions, but what matters are the people who would implement it successfully.

 

How have each of you seen yourself grow personally and professionally during your time in the part-time program? 

AM: I have gained an appreciation for the types of hard decisions that must be made at the C-Suite level, and the weight of responsibility that these decisions have on company culture, employee morale, and productivity. It’s been interesting to go through the Capstone during the pandemic and engage in exercises related to the real-world example of whether or not to implement remote work company wide, as I myself was going through a similar experience at my job.

MN: The program chiseled my decision-making skills by allowing me to step in the shoes of senior leaders and be evaluated on these skills. I feel confident solving real-world problems as a leader in my area of expertise.