UNIVERSITIES MAKING AN IMPACT
EACH YEAR, STUDENTS on MSc programmes in analytical subjects at several UK universities spend their last few months undertaking a project, often for an organisation. These projects can make a significant impact. This issue features a report of a project recently carried out at one of our universities: London School of Economics. If you are interested in availing yourself of such an opportunity, please contact the Operational Research Society at [email protected]
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK TEXT ANALYSIS AND ANALYTICS
(Kaiyi Chen, LSE, MSc Operational Research and Analytics)
BT is the UK’s largest provider of fixed-line, broadband and mobile services, and also provides subscription television and IT services. As a consumer-facing organisation, providing excellent customer experience is a key strategic goal and numerical measures of customer loyalty are used for feedback. This is complemented by analysis to create a clearer picture and to help focus service improvements where they’ll have the most benefit.
Kaiyi’s project explored the potential for using advanced text mining techniques and associated analytics to generate recommendations to the business based on a large pilot set of anonymised customer survey data. The core was the application of methods taught on the course but it was clear from the start that she would have to research additional tools and would need considerable consultancy and interpersonal skills to work across teams to deliver a meaningful outcome against tight deadlines.
Kaiyi was selected by BT from the shortlist forwarded by LSE in part because of her exceptional academic record but also because of the strong ‘systems focussed’ thinking she demonstrated. She came to the LSE with a first class Materials Science degree from Oxford University and experience of leading a solar cell technology research team as well as consultancy with Accenture. Many students on the course have a mathematical background but some of the projects with most impact have actually been delivered by numerate engineers like Kaiyi with a broader background, and the LSE is looking for ways to encourage more engineers to join the course.
Jonathan Malpass, a Research Manager in BT’s Applied Research department, originated and supervised the project for BT. Jon said: “When we signed up to the LSE programme we knew that success is never guaranteed, but Kaiyi exceeded our expectations on a challenging project and delivered results that were genuinely useful to the business. She demonstrated both her technical and ‘soft’ skills on this for BT and her Distinction for this part of her masters degree was fully deserved.”
Kaiyi agreed that it had been something of a leap into the unknown, but she was well supported by the BT team. “The project allowed me to apply the research and analytical skills I accumulated during my studies and previous work experience, but it also helped me develop a wide range of valuable consultancy skills that have already proved very useful.”
The aim of the projects on the MSc programme is to develop and test the consultancy and project management skills taught on the course as well as the students’ technical ability. This is demanding on the students and on the LSE’s supervision team, who have to coach and mentor them through the project. However, the LSE believes the result is a more rounded and more employable graduate who has demonstrated more than technical competence. Kaiyi is now working in London with British engineering consultancy Atkins as a transport consultant.