This past summer of 2022, I spent as an intern working for Kalmar Solutions. The title of my position was Technical Service and Warranty Support Intern. I chose this internship as I am currently doing my MBA in Business Data Analytics. The Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering I obtained at my previous university prepared me well for the internship and the tasks that came with it. Kalmar Solutions is a part of Cargotec, an international company that specializes in cargo-handling equipment and port automation and services. The Ottawa factory mainly manufactures terminal tractors that are used to transport containers to ports and large warehouses. The team I was a part of specialized in an extended warranty for the terminal tractors, their parts, and their service.

The biggest project that I worked on in the company was recreating and updating the extended warranty calculator, which the team uses to calculate how much each tractor would cost for the customers in terms of the warranty. This was a major project that challenged me to use all the skills and knowledge I have acquired in both my undergrad and grad school classes. In addition, we had other smaller projects in which I helped my team in any way I could.

For me, this internship was very beneficial as I saw more about how a company works and how much work goes into when you are manufacturing and selling a product. An essential learning experience for me was seeing how well my team functioned. You hear how important teamwork is during your university years, but now I finally see how to communicate well in a team and be accountable for your job.

- Andris Gudins | OU MBA-Business Data Analytics