“This is your project. You can take it wherever you want as long as you can convince everyone that it brings value.”
These words spoken by Marjan Alavi, Program Lead for the Master of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering (MEME) program at McMaster University, are what encouraged Amirmahan (Amir) Mohseni to redirect his final master’s project from an engineering focus to an exploration of business management.
The MEME student spent 12 months collaborating with community partner, River Drive Manufacturing (RDM), an Oakville- based company supplying high quality parts and products to the Public Transit Industry.
Mohseni proposed a transformative customer segmentation project, adding a new business marketing dimension to his work.
“My proposal was welcomed by RDM and McMaster, noting it’s potential to bring diversity and fresh challenges, especially in the context of the business and management aspects of the industry,” he shares.
Now, in this new dimension, for Mohseni, the project’s biggest hurdle lay in sourcing relevant information from industries RDM aimed to explore. “Because those industries have a lot of confidential information, I needed to dig as deep as possible to have the best outcome,” he says.
Immersed in market insight documents and industry research, Mohseni enjoyed navigating the complexities of these sectors. He says, “I’ve always been passionate about engineering, but this project opened my eyes to the broader landscape of business and management within the manufacturing industry.”
Allan Mackenzie, GENTECH Professor with the W Booth School within the Faculty of Engineering, praised Mohseni’s work ethic during the collaboration.
“Amir was an enthusiastic and engaged student analyst during the RDM community project,” says Mackenzie. “He immediately took on a leadership role and explored ways to add extra value for the client. Amir has the attributes and work ethic to become an exemplary engineering professional.”
As he prepares to embark on a co-op position as a business analyst in the new year, Mohseni attributes the project not only to fortifying his engineering foundation but also to enhancing his business acumen, making him a versatile candidate for diverse roles.
“Being able to do real-world customer segmentation and market research for a company and dealing with data gathering gave me a new perspective on what I was pursuing,” he explains. “Completing the project and seeing the committee’s reactions to my project have made me even more keen on following this path.”
The impact is two-fold, echoing the sentiments of Arash Jenab, Engineering Manager at River Drive Manufacturing, who spoke highly about RDM’s “fruitful and longstanding” partnership with the Faculty of Engineering through W Booth School.
“We acknowledge the positive impact this collaboration, including Amir’s project, have had on our technological advancement,” he shares. “I highly value the collaborative approach promoted by W Booth. It plays a crucial role in advancing companies like RDM, fostering innovation, and creating a conducive learning environment. We look forward to expanding this partnership, contributing further to the ongoing success of both RDM and the Faculty of Engineering though W Booth.”
Explore the video below for a short overview of Amir’s journey with RDM.