At McKinsey, technology shapes strategy, transforms organizations, and more. It’s extremely humbling to work with brilliant people from diverse backgrounds. I’ve worked alongside Olympic gymnasts, veterans, surgeons and mathematicians, who are all so inspiring, dedicated and kind. It’s an exciting mix that you only find here.
I started my career as a software developer in India, then decided to pursue my MBA. I took on a business internship, which I enjoyed, but I missed coding, and the satisfaction of writing a piece of code that ran successfully, so much that I found myself coming home every night and building mobile apps no one would ever use
So I combined my passion for technology and business by pursing a master’s in analytics at the University of Minnesota. I then joined McKinsey as a data engineer, where I get to continue working in both areas at the same time.
Building a COVID-19 global supply platform
As the global COVID-19 crisis unfolded, I joined a team that was building a global platform for an international organization to manage worldwide emergency medical supplies.
Given the urgency, we needed to build a minimum viable product for the web application and go live in just 10 days. No one on my team had built a product this large in such a short amount of time. The team was motivated and energized to deliver a product that would have the greatest impact and reach we’d ever seen–far beyond a client organization or a few nations.
I played the role of a technical project manager and collaborated with cross-functional teams of engineers, platform architects, subject matter experts and designers along with the client team members to bring the collective vision to life. We faced quite a few hurdles along the way, but the team demonstrated great tenacity.
On day 9, we were still worried we wouldn’t make it to the finish line in time. With the immense support and dedication of the McKinsey team and the client team, we reached the last mile and successfully launched the application on day 10. Knowing our efforts could help save lives by getting much-needed medical supplies to affected areas sooner is incredibly rewarding.
The factory of the future
My other projects have included building propensity models for a utilities provider, supporting digital transformation of a gold mine, and building a part recommendation engine for the aerospace aftermarket.
A particularly exciting project involved 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), and brought technology into the physical world. Our goal was to set up an Industry 4.0 and IoT-capable smart showcase factory for a multinational networking and telecommunications company. The client wanted to create a factory that showcases the real power of advanced connectivity while efficiently producing 5G radios.
We started with an empty factory and saw it transform as machines were installed and we built a digital space connecting all the machines on the floor to cloud. We exhibited several use cases, including edge computing, augmented reality, and autonomous vehicles on the factory floor.
One use case was identifying defective products using artificial intelligence. I built a machine learning model that draws insights from 3D imagery taken every 30 seconds to identify defective parts in the manufacturing process, saving time and money.
The client had never undertaken such a transformation before, and we worked closely with their developers, architects, and leadership team. I supported the team by planning and managing development sprints, running daily stand-ups, writing code as needed, and coaching on agile development for digital transformation.
With just a few weeks left in the project, COVID-19 restrictions were set in place and we moved to a remote working model. We opened all channels of communication, using technology at the helm. The tools we installed gave us remote access to the factory so we could continue work. It amazes me how much we delivered virtually.
Advice for new recruits
At McKinsey, you can explore a plethora of opportunities and create your own path – we call it, “Make your own McKinsey.” I’ve explored new opportunities in uncharted territories and have worked as a data scientist, data engineer, agile coach, and a product manager.
The excitement just doesn’t die. After five years at McKinsey, it still feels like my first year.
About Shraddha
Shraddha is a digital specialist on McKinsey’s data engineering team in Seattle. She earned a bachelor’s in computer engineering, an MBA from University of Mumbai and a master’s in business analysis from the University of Minnesota. In her free time, Shraddha enjoys dancing, singing, painting, ice skating, and skiing.
For more information on McKinsey's tech career paths, visit mckinsey.com/TechCareers.