Industry Capstone Experience Opens New Career Path

Careers & Student Outcomes

Industry Capstone Experience Opens New Career Path

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Kaushal Makadia labels her Industry Capstone Program (ICP) experience a success.

During the spring 2024 semester, the Business Intelligence and Analytics graduate student completed her semester-long consulting project with Labelmaster, an industry leader in helping companies remain compliant with regulations about dangerous goods and hazardous materials. With headquarters in Chicago and more than 200 employees, Labelmaster is one of the largest companies that participates in the Stevens ICP program. The firm partners with businesses to provide software, products and services nationwide, including hazmat labels and UN-certified packaging, hazmat placards and regulatory publications, advanced technology and regulatory training.

"When I was given the list of companies and projects we would be working with, I found this interesting because Labelmaster is an established company," Kaushal said. "It's not a startup or small business, and it was interesting to me how we, as students, would be acting as a consultant to this larger company with resources. When I saw the opportunity to work on that project as a student consultant, I wanted to grab it."

The interest in consulting and working on the client-facing side of business was one of the reasons Kaushal chose the Stevens School of Business and specifically, the Business Intelligence and Analytics program. In her native India, she completed her bachelor's degree in Information and Communication Technology at Pandit Deendayal Energy University.

"I come from a tech background, and I was looking for something that aligns with my tech interests, but I wanted to explore the business side of the industry as well," she said. "BI&A gives me the perfect combination of courses and gave me a new perspective."

Kaushal and her team, including a Finance student, a Management student and two MBA students, were tasked with improving sales of Labelmaster's facility management product line of shipping, warehouse and dock equipment. The group's wide range of experience and expertise helped define and narrow their focus on such a wide-ranging project.

"It was great. We had each other's back and whenever one of us was stuck, everybody tried to help them out and suggest new ideas," she said. "It was fun being exposed to all those different backgrounds and the different ways they went about researching problems. Everyone had their own unique approach that informed their ideas and strategies for solving the problems."

In addition to their internal meetings and discussions with their faculty advisor, Kaushal and her teammates met regularly with Labelmaster's marketing, data analytics and product management teams. That support gave the group an added sense of confidence.

"We had that safety net because there were professors and mentors to help us out," Kaushal said. "In an actual job, there are no professors to help you out. You're on your own. One of the best parts was having that backup and guidance, yet still working on a real-time issue, a real problem."

The team focused on website visitor data analysis, sales analysis and risk assessment to form their go-to-market strategy recommendations. They investigated several factors, including the medium used by the users, the time spent visiting the company website, search behavior, customer retention rate and search engine optimization. The company's director of marketing and business analytics attended the final presentation.

"One of the ideas they liked and said they would try to implement was our strategy using popular search terms on their site," Kaushal said. "Moreover, after analyzing the time of day and day of the week when products are most searched for and purchased, we uncovered fascinating trends. Inspired by a keen observation from the Labelmaster team, we decided to pair our facility management products with these best-selling items. Through dynamic collaboration and creative brainstorming, we crafted an ingenious solution."

Despite never having done consulting work, Kaushal felt well-prepared to take on the role. Not only did her BI&A coursework apply to the tasks at hand, but the course "Fundamentals of Consulting," a prerequisite for participating in a capstone project, ensures Stevens students are also equipped with the added layer of fundamental soft skills, work techniques and technologies employed by management consultants.

"In that class, I picked up some really important lessons about consulting," she said. "First off, you've got to understand the problem or area the client wants you to work on, really dive into it. Next, ask lots of questions. It helps you get a better grasp of the problem and might even show you where the gaps are. But the biggest thing I learned is to listen-really listen. Clients will tell you what they need, whether it's through their suggestions or their doubts. If you pay attention, you'll figure out the problem and where to focus. And finally, the course taught us how to handle tough decisions and make the right choices."

"For data analysis, I had taken courses like Business Intelligence & Data Integration, Marketing Analytics and Project Management Fundamentals, which really helped me with this project," Kaushal continued. "Everything I learned in the BI&A program came in handy in one way or another during this real-time project."

Currently interning with the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board's Racial Profiling and Bias-Based Policing Investigations Unit as a research data analyst, Kaushal has expanded her job search to include consulting roles now that she has practical experience, a wider network and concrete examples to present during interviews.

"I'm excited to keep advancing my skills in consulting and am now open to taking on consulting roles," she said. "This isn't just a school project. I've worked with a real client who can speak to the quality and impact of my work. I'm ready to bring that experience into a professional setting."

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