I have been working in the manufacturing and operations side of primary pharmaceutical packaging for almost 10 years now after I finished my bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. During the course of these 10 years, I got certifications in ISO systems and auditing and Six Sigma Green Belt with Lean.
Before I signed up for the DSBA course, I was managing the Operations and Engineering department in a leading desiccant manufacturing company in Pune.
The biggest challenge for me was to overcome the fear of programming that would be needed to get through the course. Coming from a manufacturing background, it was a major concern for me whether I would be able to learn programming after spending so many years in the mechanical field.
After I realized that I needed to enhance my skills in these tough and competitive times and the urgency to give myself an extra edge, I wanted to collaborate with a reputed online platform for the course of my choice. Online because I couldn’t spare the time or take a career gap to attend on-site courses outside my location. Also, having to work 6 days a week took away any possibilities of weekend physical classes that were available and not to forget Covid-19. In the online setup, there are many options that are available in the market, and some offer the same title for dirt-low prices. But, based on the feedback available on the internet and research about the course structure and curriculum, I choose Great Learning. It was highly recommended and reviewed, and their course structure and curriculum were as per the current industry as well as my own requirements.
The mentoring sessions are a great method and are well designed and executed. It was easy for me to understand the fundamentals and principles from these sessions as well as clarify any doubts I had. The quality of these mentoring sessions is good and serves its purpose.
The mentor’s role is very important, and for those who need guidance and support, it’s extremely critical. Here the GL is providing extremely active support in the form of dedicated program managers, mentors, etc. Regular feedback sessions are conducted, and it’s much more important than it seems to have our doubts and grievances addressed. Also, I would like to really point out that the portal is extremely well designed and easy to use and has all the information that we would need.
I have always believed in the power of data and am a firm believer in the statement “Data Speaks for itself.” I was using tools like MS Excel mostly for all my dashboards and calculations, and it served my purpose well up to a certain point. But, I knew that there was more than could be done with the data, and crucial and strategic decisions could be made by the company/organization based on a proper study of data instead of depending on personal gut feeling to make major decisions. These new skills like forecasting, Tableau, predictions will play an important role in my role in Operations Management as well as other functions like Production, Engineering, Projects, and Utilities.
My advice to everyone and especially people with non-IT backgrounds, is to believe in the power of data and understand that analytics is the way forward. And for those who are from non-IT backgrounds like me, I would say to freely go ahead and sign up for this course, and nowhere will you feel that you are lagging behind because of the inability to code. Yes, extra efforts are needed, and also constant practice is needed to grasp the tools and the logic. But, after all the efforts and pains, it’s pure fun to see the data unravel its magic. And that makes it all worthwhile.
