Hi Benedict, if you had to choose just one, can you tell us about a favourite project you’ve had at Cognizant over the years?
It’s no surprise that the most interesting project I worked on was more people-centric. Five years ago, the first AIA grads arrived – it was a batch of five. They had completed their two-week business course and had five weeks to spare until their trip to India, where they got to complete their seven-week technical course on a Cognizant campus.
I had just rolled off a client and was on bench, so the AIA team asked me to come up with a five-week curriculum to fill in the gap productively. I was more than happy to oblige as I am passionate about working with new local talent and I too was a young person (a long time ago) so I could empathise with what the grads were going through.
The curriculum I designed included methodologies, introduction to databases, introduction to reports/dashboards and a project week. The project involved the grads using everything they have learnt in their lives to analyse and report off data of their interests. The catch was that they had to present in front of HR and Cognizant’s Directors.
It ended with a Cognizant dinner, where we invited a client to share their experiences collaborating with our company. Throughout the program, the grads had a chance to impress both their colleagues and potential clients, and all of them were immediately placed with their first client upon their return to Australia.
How about emerging technologies? What are some exciting new technologies you’ve had the chance to work with here?
The biggest one off the top of my head is Biometrics, which I find incredibly exciting. Using statistical analysis on biological data isn’t new, but using the capability where it is already baked into hardware is quite niche.
I was seconded to help with a startup that the AIA team was trying to turn into a partner. This startup found out that current security camera manufacturers from Japan like NEC, Phillips, SONY etc, could record things such as gender, age, foot traffic, height of individuals, and simple sentiment analysis. Therefore, I was asked to lead a team consisting of just one grad and another engineer from offshore, to stream the data centrally to the cloud, transform the data then produce Qlik dashboards on the biometrics.
The use cases for this data in retail are limitless – think end-to-end security for example: end-to-end security is required by law nowadays, ensuring companies and governments protect the personal information they possess. I had never before been on a merger and acquisition project where one company’s data must securely be transferred to another company’s infrastructure – in this project I designed and developed an automated, metadata-driven solution to zip, encrypt and securely transfer sensitive data from one company to another. We even had to come up with physical backup plans (i.e. what do you do when the direct link is down? You use an encrypted hard drive!) It had that James Bond vibe to it. It was fun!
How did your work on that specific project impact the client, and the industry at large?
Any retailer or entity that owns a space where people pass by can leverage this data for better pricing, dynamic advertising, better cross-selling, better basket analysis, smarter rostering — the list goes on.
The startup we collaborated with has implemented this in Europe and Brazil now as well. It’s good to know that even though we can’t compete with the amount of investment capital going around, we still have the drive and ambition of any tech hub around the world.
Also, with regard to the end-to-end security, data breaches can make or break an organisation. You just lose that credibility and sense of trust with your customer base. We ensured the client and its customers did not have to go through this nightmare.
What’s your favourite aspect of working on the AIA at Cognizant? What’s the culture like?
The banter! You need a sense of humour in this high performing and competitive industry. Also the people! Cliched but true. When your colleagues are guns it gives you an opportunity to learn and grow from their expertise. It works both ways as well. I’ve been around the block so I too can share a thing or two. It’s such an amazing feeling when you get recognition and praise from colleagues you respect and admire.
The AIA team is about high performance and rejuvenation. When I’m lucky enough to be paired with another AIA talent on the same project, regardless of whether I have worked with them in the past, I feel excited. Even if the project will be challenging, you know you have more than enough in the locker to score that proverbial goal. You know you will solve any issue big or small.
Talent comes and goes in this industry like any other industry, but the AIA team collaborates seamlessly with Cognizant recruitment to replenish the talent pool. Regardless of whether we are hiring new grads or a distinguished architect, I feel the standard of the A-team is always maintained.
