Purdue Solutions, a student consulting organization

In October 2016, then-seniors Maggie Stotzer and Raghav Ghandi (both BSIE 2017) founded Purdue Solutions. Made up of Purdue engineering, technology and business students, it is a subsidiary of the Purdue University Consulting Club (PUCC). Purdue Solutions gives students opportunities to gain consulting experience, interact with real clients on real issues, and work on a team to solve real business problems. The organization’s mission specializes in providing technology, systems, and operations consulting to clients in the Greater Lafayette area.

Co-founder Stotzer says that Purdue Solutions "focuses on technology consulting, and includes business and engineering students that get to work with real clients around the area.”

The organization gives students firsthand experience in working with clients and solving problems in teams. During the Fall 2017 semester, Purdue Solutions worked with five new client projects in the Greater Lafayette area and Indianapolis, including Ivy Tech Community College, Jeco Plastic Products, BBCS Payroll Services, Findeight Digital Marketing, and Stanley Steamer. These projects targeted restructuring, budget modeling, process optimization, onboarding standardization, data reporting, and data analytics and market research.

Purdue Solutions also plans networking events with recruiters, case workshops, and case competitions. In the Spring 2018 semester, it will host its second annual case competition with PricewaterhouseCoopers to give more students the opportunity to work in fast-paced environments, meet executives in the field, and experience technology consulting. The organization also plans to hold case workshops and recruit new members this semester.

“Purdue Solutions gives students an incredibly unique opportunity to get real work experience with actual clients while being in a student group that offers guided professional development,” says Sofi Smith, Managing Director. “It’s such a great way to learn from peers, immediately practice your skills, and gain knowledge way beyond the classroom.”

Members’ diverse majors bring various strengths to the team. Six Industrial Engineering students make up the current Board of Directors. There were 31 members during the fall semester, and currently there are 18 — with plenty of room to grow after upcoming recruitment efforts. The organization is advised by Dave Kotterman, IE Industry Relations Director, and Matthew Lynall, Clinical Associate Professor of Management and the Director of Experiential Learning and Management Consulting at Krannert School of Management.

Potential clients can email Purdue Solutions.

Potential student members can apply to Purdue Solutions.

Source: Purdue Solutions students gain consulting experience