"My Experience with Unite with Business": Ketan Ghandi - Lancaster University.

GOTec had submitted an Expression of Interest to receive UK government funding for the purpose of lowering CO₂ emissions through ongoing research and development of a niche motor vehicle. Feedback from the grants panel identified, amongst others, a need for supporting statistics, data and costings. In order to achieve success from the next funding proposal, GOTec sought help in two specific areas: statistical and survey research to support the EoI data; and costs in relation to constructing a vehicle from small to large quantities - with a comparison in prices between UK and overseas suppliers.

I am currently pursuing MBA from Lancaster Management School. I have highly benefited from the opportunity provided to me by ‘Unite with Business’ in one of its part time consultancy project offering.

The intensity of MBA course lessens during summer term due to elective period. I knew I had free time at hand and was looking for a consultancy project which would help me apply my MBA learning, give me some handy experience and also earn me money in the process. That’s when I got to knew about ‘Unite with Business’ through various mailers sent by university administration. I applied and got selected for an interesting project with Gotec Engineering. The client had designed a concept car and wanted to pitch for funding at Technology Strategy Board IDP7. My role was to assist the client with preparing a business plan for the funding pitch document.

My experience about working on this project was as good as working on any other MBA consulting project. The client was very professional and was clear in explaining to me my responsibilities and expectations. The ‘Unite with Business’ staff too was very co-operative in assisting in other formalities and in setting out the base rules for assignment.

This assignment proved very fruitful in providing me with a handy experience in automobile and manufacturing sector. Although I had a fair experience in consulting during my MBA projects, this was the first instance that I was working independently. It boosted my confidence and in process I made some useful contacts. The technical details about emission technology and low cost car manufacturing which I learned during this assignment were added bonus.

I have already recommended ‘Unite with Business’ to my batch-mates and other colleagues and most of them are already eyeing few consultancy positions with it. Time permitting; I would like to re-associate myself with ‘Unite with Business’ for another interesting assignment.