Operations Excellence Placement Review

My placement year with Cummins Generator Technologies has been a great learning opportunity. I now have a much better understanding on how the different functions work together to satisfy the business needs. I have been given the chance to use the technical knowledge I learnt in uni and develop project management skills which is critical to survive in the real world.

The work environment in Cummins is fantastic. People don't see you as a subordinate and they actually value your opinion and suggestions. I have had other managers/colleagues come to me for assistance or help which does not only give me the opportunity to get involved in other stuff but also gives me the visibility one needs as a placement/graduate.

The support given by Cummins has been immensely helpful. All placements had to undergo a few training regarding adapting to the business environment, team work, customer service and so on delivered by an external trainer. I was also given assistance pertaining to my job role when necessary. And on a day-to-day basis, I never hesitated asking my manager/colleagues for help or guidance.

Initially I didn't have a lot of tasks/projects assigned because I still settling into the business and learning about the different processes to make the wide range of products manufactured here. But before I realized, I had a lot on my plate and it kept me quite busy.

To be honest, I was was quite surprised to find out that Cummins gives their placements projects that have a huge impact on the business, both financially and otherwise. I have been the project lead for 3 projects; one was introducing a tool both on the shop floor and in the office, one was related to continuous improvement and one was a core engineering based project. So I have had a good mixture of projects and additionally I have been involved in organizing and managing a few events/activities as well.

I have had the chance to enhance my communication and presentation skills which will definitely help in my final year in uni and beyond. The opportunity to gain project and change management skills has been one of the most important things I've learnt because change is inevitable and business needs keep changing on a daily basis. I have also had the opportunity to sharpen my CAD skills when I was working on my engineering based project.

The general atmosphere in my office was very friendly. I would have coffee breaks with my colleagues and we would chat about things other than work. People were very friendly and approachable.

The work placement was organised very well and it was also very flexible. I was always asked if I enjoyed the kind of work I did and what else did I want to do. They did their best to tailor the work given to me according to my desire/want.

The company invested a lot of money on training and personal development. As mentioned before all placements had to attend a compulsory training program delivered by an external trainer. We also had a few group activities/trainings off site.

I'm quite optimistic when it comes to future employment prospects within the organisation since it is a global company with offices/sites all over the world.

We used to have a few socials every now and then. There was also a sports and social committee that organised 5 a side football league, cricket and badminton events apart from night outs.

The cost of living was quite similar to uni life, the only difference being I could save money this time. And the social scene was quite good since there were a lot of graduates and placements.

The nightlife was quite good though stamford being a small town there weren't a lot of pubs/clubs.

football, badminton, cricket, community work, stem events