IBM Consulting Intern Onboarding (32 hrs). Start at IBM self-paced learning. Met team, set up tools, got client project access.
Week 2 · Jun 2
Training Deep Dive & Goal Setting
Growth Behaviors training, Generative AI for Consulting, Agile, Presentation skills. Set SMART goals with Shannon. Completed Udemy certifications.
Week 3 · Jun 9
Client Analysis & SAP Deep Dive
Started UNSPSC code remediation (1,002 codes) and APAC supplier spend analysis (2,700 suppliers / $562M+). SAP Business AI learning. Cybersecurity training completed ahead of deadline.
Week 4 · Jun 16
Client Work & ICA Edge Discovery
Completed both client analyses — narrowed 2,700 suppliers to prioritized conversion targets via confidence scoring; fixed an 11-month taxonomy misclassification. Shadowed Angie on AskS2P/Azure. Discovered and began testing ICA Edge with Roi Zahut.
Weeks 5–6 · Jun 23
SAP Config Docs & Edge Advocacy
Authored Guided Buying configuration documentation. Began Capstone. 10+ UX suggestions to Edge team. Built Polishd extension.
Week 7 · Jul 7
Capstone Demo & Manufacturing Visit
Spearheaded Capstone demo development. Visited IBM Poughkeepsie (Z mainframes + Quantum Computing). Expanded Edge network across offices.
Week 8+ · Jul 14
Final Deliverables & Wrap-up
Portfolio creation. Capstone presentation. Final feedback sessions. Targeting Super Learner (80 hrs).
IBM Growth Behaviors
Six Core Behaviors in Action
Click each behavior to expand evidence of how it was demonstrated during the internship.
Growth Minded
Continuously learning, seeking new insights, staying open to feedback, and adapting to change.
Evidence
Completed 66 training hours (Think 40 badge earned)
Self-initiated learning on SAP, AI tools, and consulting skills via Udemy & YourLearning
Actively sought and applied feedback from Shannon, Samantha, Ben, and Angela weekly
Adapted to unfamiliar SAP tasks using structured learning process
Trusted
Acting with integrity, building inclusive relationships with empathy, and fostering a safe environment.
Evidence
Maintained weekly check-ins with buddy (Samantha) and manager (Shannon)
Built trust across teams — US, India, and cross-functional partners
Handled client-sensitive data with professionalism and discretion
Volunteered for Bring Your Kid to Work Day — created a welcoming, inclusive environment
Team Focused
Collaborating across the business, leveraging peers, and valuing diverse perspectives.
Evidence
Collaborated with US team (Shannon, Ben, Angela, Samantha) and India team (Dhinesh, Mahesh, Soumick)
Spearheaded Capstone demo development as team technical lead
Assisted other intern teams in accessing and learning ICA Edge
Connected Roi Zahut with Dallas Team 4 and Durham Team 3 who used Edge in Capstone
Courageous
Speaking up, challenging the status quo, and embracing learnings from failures or setbacks.
Evidence
Submitted 10+ UX improvement suggestions directly to the ICA Edge product team
Identified and reported Edge browser bugs and viewport issues transparently
Proposed drag-and-drop UX expansion and message edit/rerun features
Took ownership of Capstone demo — pitched ideas from concept to client-ready interface
Resourceful
Being creative with what you have, solving problems efficiently, and maintaining competitive awareness.
Evidence
Used ICA Edge to build Polishd — a personal AI writing assistant (Chrome extension)
Leveraged AI tools (AskS2P, Edge) to deepen SAP understanding independently
Created structured VLOOKUP and pivot table analysis for client supplier data
Used ICA Edge as primary development tool for Capstone demo build
Outcome Focused
Driving for measurable business value, maintaining speed, and focusing efforts on impactful results.
Evidence
Supplier analysis directly contributed to the client spend analysis deliverable
Completed all required trainings ahead of June 30 deadline
Delivered SAP configuration documentation ready for ongoing production support
Capstone demo: framework idea to client-ready interface with working MVP
Key Contributions
Accomplishments & Deliverables
Not just what was built — but the outcomes it drove: clearer decisions, reduced risk, faster processes, and real client value. Tap any card to expand.
APAC Supplier Spend & Invoice Analysis
Analyzed 2,700 suppliers across 6 APAC countries, processing 70,570+ invoices and $562M+ in total spend to determine exactly which suppliers were worth the effort of onboarding to the SAP Business Network — and which were not.
Impact: Narrowed the client’s focus from 2,700 suppliers down to a prioritized subset that drives real ROI. By applying match-confidence scoring and invoice thresholds, proved that “High” confidence suppliers with >10 invoices capture 84.74% of their segment’s invoices and “Medium” confidence suppliers capture 94.69% — demonstrating that a focused conversion effort on a small group delivers outsized returns. This saves the client months of manual email-based invoice processing and focuses SBN onboarding effort where it actually matters.
High confidence: 164 suppliers (5.8%) — 3.87% of spend, 4.56% of invoices
Medium confidence: 296 suppliers (10.55%) — 37.32% of total spend, 15.38% of invoices
Not Sent For Match: 987 suppliers (37.29%) — 17.88% of spend, 9.02% of invoices
Blank / unmatched: 1,253 suppliers (46.36%) — 40.94% of spend, 71.03% of invoices
Key finding: Medium-confidence suppliers punch far above their weight — only 10.55% of the supplier base but 37.32% of total spend. These are the #1 conversion targets for SBN onboarding.
Invoice capture rates (filtering to suppliers with >10 invoices):
High confidence: 1,949 ÷ 2,300 = 84.74% of invoices; $1.8M ÷ $3.4M = 53.80% of spend
Medium confidence: 7,350 ÷ 7,762 = 94.69% of invoices; $3.1M ÷ $4.1M = 74.62% of spend
Blank / unmatched: 33,709 ÷ 35,389 = 95.25% of invoices; $7.9M ÷ $9.8M = 80.50% of spend
SBN status: 460 suppliers already matched on SBN · 1,713 submitted for matching — leaving a clear gap of unmatched suppliers still processing all invoices manually via email
Eliminated wasted effort: instead of chasing all 2,700 suppliers with emails, calls, and onboarding paperwork, the team now focuses on the subset that actually drives ROI — saving months of outreach time
Long-term value: the scoping logic, confidence scoring, and ranked output became a reusable template — applicable to every future wave/region the client onboards, not just APAC
Supported adoption: partnered with Kristi Choate (Partner, SAP Process Adoption) to align the analysis to real change-management needs
SAP · Spend Analysis · Client Delivery · Strategic Scoping
Analyzed 1,002 UNSPSC codes across a major catalog supplier (US.MX Spring 2026) to ensure every catalog item was mapped to the correct custom commodity code — fixing months of incorrect tax classification and AP routing that had been running since August 2025.
Impact: Before this analysis, a single UNSPSC code was assigned to all catalog items — meaning every item was taxed and audited identically regardless of what it actually was. From August 2025 through July 2026, that’s months of incorrect paper GL account associations, wrong tax treatment, and misrouted accounts payable. After: each item carries the proper custom commodity code, driving correct taxation, accurate AP posting, and audit-ready categorization going forward.
Scale: analyzed 1,002 unique UNSPSC codes, mapped against 300 custom commodity codes and 1,670 UNSPSC-to-Custom mappings — part of a broader 9-supplier, 123,830-row analysis matrix
Accuracy achieved: 843 codes (84%) received exact client/workbook mappings on first pass; 141 additional codes resolved at family-level; only 18 true gaps remained with no custom-code coverage
Corrected systemic error: identified and remediated the one-code-for-all problem that had been misclassifying items for ~11 months — every order placed through that supplier on the SBN during that window was taxed incorrectly
Long-term value: the mapping matrix is reusable for every future catalog supplier the client onboards — seven additional suppliers (Supplier 1 through Supplier 7, spanning the US, Mexico, Germany, and the UK) are already included in the same workbook framework
Audit-ready: proper commodity coding ensures GL accounts (taxation) and accounts payable are correctly associated, making the catalog defensible in future audits
SAP · UNSPSC · Taxonomy · Data Remediation · Client Delivery
SAP Configuration Documentation
Authored the Guided Buying configuration playbooks for the client's live Ariba environment — the step-by-step references the support team relies on to make changes without breaking production.
Impact: Converted tribal, in-someone's-head knowledge into durable documentation — reducing dependency on senior consultants, speeding up onboarding, and giving the AMS team a repeatable process for announcements, catalogs, tiles, and policies.
Reduced risk: documented exact steps for announcements, home-page tiles, catalogs, and policy creation so changes are made consistently and safely
Saved time: gave the team self-serve references instead of ad-hoc questions to senior members
Scaled knowledge: included policy-type descriptions so future support staff understand the why, not just the how
SAP Ariba · Documentation · Config
AI Tools — AskS2P Testing & Analysis
Contributed directly to IBM's internal AI tooling by testing AskS2P, documenting feedback, and building reporting & analytics. Immersed in the AI + SAP intersection through consistent, proactive learning.
Impact: Turned raw usage data into clear adoption dashboards leadership could act on — making AskS2P's daily-active-user trends visible at a glance and feeding real user feedback back into the product to improve it.
Increased visibility: updated PowerPoint charts tracking daily active user counts so the team could see adoption at a glance
Tested and iterated on AskS2P reporting & analytics across multiple work sessions
Shadowed Angela (Angie) Fan extensively — learning her full AskS2P + Azure analysis workflow
Held weekly AI/AskS2P learning meetings with Angela Fan — a sustained learning cadence
Completed SAP Business AI Platform: Building AI Agents in Joule Studio 2.0 + IBM Custom Agents training
AI · AskS2P · Analytics
AI Use Case Deck & Reusable Template
Assigned ownership of the “AI Use at [Client]” status deck — walking stakeholders through two SAP Joule AI use cases (HR / SuccessFactors and Order-to-Cash). Built it end-to-end in the client's brand palette.
Impact: Didn't just deliver one deck — created a reusable presentation template the team can use for every future AI use-case update: quick to fill in, easy to understand, and consistently on-brand. A one-time build that keeps paying off for the whole team.
Owned it end-to-end: assigned the deliverable and built all 7 slides independently
On-brand: followed the client's color palette and visual standards for a polished, client-ready look
Built to scale: designed a reusable template — fast to populate, clear to read, and effective at communicating status
Clear communication: structured each use case as Objective → Outcomes → Status → Milestones so any reader grasps progress at a glance
AI · Communication · Reusable Asset
Client Production Support & SAP Systems
Embedded in the day-to-day rhythm of a live client engagement — trusted with real SAP system access and an active operational support role, not just standalone projects.
Impact: Operated as a contributing team member on a live client account — trusted with production-level system access and helping keep the client's Ariba environment running, not just observing from the sidelines.
Ongoing production support for the client account
Hands-on buying-platform system testing in the Ariba environment
Granted SAP system access — Jira boards (ARBDN, SBN, ARBUP, STPSAP) and S4D / S4Q / S4V test systems
Participated in Daily Stand-Ups (DSUs) and the IBM S2P + Ariba Team Daily Sync
Exposure to the Wave Method — the delivery methodology chosen over waterfall and agile for this implementation
SAP · Operations · Client Embedded
ICA Edge Testing & Advocacy
Became an early adopter and advocate for IBM's ICA Edge AI tool. Provided 11+ UX suggestions and bug reports directly to the tool's creator, several of which were acknowledged and validated.
Reported browser viewport issues and false-click bugs
Proposed message edit/rerun and Control-F features
Assisted in informing and teaching other intern teams to access and learn ICA Edge
Connected the creator with Dallas Team 4 & Durham Team 3 (confirmed Edge users in Capstone)
“thanks. a worthy bug”
— Roi Zahut, Creator of ICA Edge, on a bug Daniel reported
AI · UX · Product Feedback
Capstone Project
AskRX — Growth Strategy to Story Challenge
"Turning Prior Authorization Delays into Faster Patient Care"
As Solution Demonstration Lead on OMA Team 2 (11 members), I spearheaded the design and build of AskRX — an AI-powered prior authorization platform targeting DaVita Kidney Care. Built from concept to client-ready working demo using ICA Edge as part of IBM's Growth Strategy to Story Challenge.
The figures below are illustrative projections built for the challenge scenario — not measured business results.
$5M+
Annual savings projected
180K
PAs automated / year
10x
Year 1 ROI
40%
Faster approvals
The Problem: 90% of PA documents require additional clinical information. Physicians like Dr. Mark Murdock lose 12+ hrs/week to paperwork. Manual PA costs $26–$33 per transaction — and patients wait 1–3+ days for care.
Our Solution: A 4-step workflow — Draft, Score, Fix, Submit. AskRX predicts approval likelihood, flags missing fields, recommends edits from previously approved cases, and auto-formats to each payer's template. Unlike existing competitors that automate the process, AskRX fixes the input — preventing denials before they happen.
My Role: Solution Demonstration Lead — owned full demo lifecycle from concept to design to build to live presentation
Built a working interactive platform (IBM Carbon Design, fully responsive) — explore the live demo below
Powered by watsonx.ai (prediction), watsonx.data (case retrieval), watsonx.governance (compliance), IBM Cloud (EHR integration)
Presented 18-month phased implementation roadmap with $500K Year 1 cost to $5M savings (payback in ~5 weeks)
Aligned solution to DaVita's "Community First" mission and Trilogy of Care values
Advanced to the semifinals of the Growth Strategy to Story Challenge — presented to IBM leadership
Team: Sophia Campola (Project Lead), Daniel Cuesta (Demo Lead), Eli Rippetoe (Technical Implementation), Connor Rowe (Business Analyst), A'niah Stokes (Sales & Client Relations), Paige VanWagenen (Solution Strategy), Swara Viswanadha (Product Adoption), Erin Voigt (Change Management), Dakota Yang (PMO & Risk), Akshar Patel (Data & Insights), Kazi Tasin (Training)
Developed a full presentation demo video showcasing ICA Edge working alongside the Oracle Buddy plugin for a potential new client signing within the private flying industry. The video highlights ICA’s autonomous thinking, problem-solving, and end-to-end delivery capabilities in real time.
Challenge Level: Required access to a completely unreleased plugin, extensive networking to find the right contacts (many dead ends), debugging an environment misconfiguration, reformatting a template deck that kept tripping the AI, and crafting a one-shot prompt that would produce a polished 20-slide training deck autonomously.
Access: Plugin was unreleased — navigated through multiple contacts, dead ends, and escalation paths before securing access
Debugging: System indicated an Oracle environment was required (contradicting handoff info) — spent hours troubleshooting, created a free trial, then realized the approach was overcomplicated and stripped back to basics
ICA Edge blocking its own task — “pending Oracle Cloud access” — the moment that sent me down the rabbit hole.
Template Fix: Reference PowerPoint kept failing due to file size and 2× slide dimensions — created a reformatted deck to resolve
Prompt Engineering: Crafted a detailed one-shot prompt that produces a complete 20-slide Oracle AP Invoice Training deck (with screenshots, speaker notes, and callouts) in a single autonomous execution
Deliverable: Professional demo video proving ICA Edge + Oracle Buddy can autonomously generate enterprise training content
Personal project built using ICA Edge: a Chrome extension that provides real-time writing suggestions, grammar checking, and AI-powered text enhancement.
Full Chrome extension with popup, content scripts, and service worker
Focus Mode: full-screen distraction-free editing with live sync
Demonstrates hands-on AI integration and development skills
Personal Project · AI · Development
IBM Poughkeepsie — Mainframes & Quantum
Visited IBM's Poughkeepsie facility for a deep dive into IBM Z mainframe manufacturing and quantum computing research. Gained understanding of end-to-end hardware production, enterprise-scale computing, and IBM's infrastructure future.
IBM Z mainframe production — enterprise-scale computing
IBM Quantum systems — next-generation computing research
End-to-end manufacturing process understanding
Connected software (SAP) work to hardware infrastructure
Learning · IBM Infrastructure
Volunteering & Community
Sought out a holistic internship experience by volunteering, engaging with the office community, and using people skills to leave a lasting impression.
Impact: Volunteered at Bring Your Kid to Work Day — staffed the Children’s Check-In Desk in the morning, then led an afternoon office tour with stops covering IBM’s business, operations, and culture. Received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, with multiple people going so far as to contact my manager directly with praise.
Bring Your Kid to Work Day: Children’s Check-In Desk (AM) → Led guided office tour (PM) covering IBM’s business lines, operations, and workplace culture
Why: Driven by a desire to achieve a holistic office and internship experience — not just project delivery but genuine community involvement and interpersonal growth
Results: Met a wide range of people across the office; received overwhelmingly positive feedback, including direct messages to manager praising communication and leadership presence
Advocated for ICA Edge adoption across intern cohort
Supported team presentations and deck creation
Service · Community · Leadership · People Skills
EAI Intern 10 Challenges
Intern 10 Progress
10 experiential challenges designed to build consulting readiness throughout the internship.
0/ 10
All 10 challenges completed with logged evidence.
Interviewing Practice Consultants
13+ coffee chats across all levels — Managing Partner to Data Scientist
Meeting Presentation
Completed through my AskRX capstone: hours of slide crafting, tailoring, practice, and mentor review before presenting to leadership
Practice Elevator Pitch
Completed — delivered and refined my personal pitch
Client Call Shadowing
05/25/26 — APAC SAP Match Presentation for the client
Client Task Shadowing
Client production support, buying-platform testing & Angela Fan AskS2P/Azure shadowing
Project Work
Supplier analysis, SAP config docs, Capstone demo
All Hands Call
Attended Town Hall & Q2 Grow Together — learned about AI strategy & margin growth
Discovery/Design Session
Supplier One — exposure to discovery/design process
Situation Role Play
Completed — practiced navigating a workplace scenario
IBM YourLearning · 66 hours completed · Top 71% of IBM learners
Achieved
Professional Network
Coffee Chats & Mentors
15+ conversations with IBMers across every level — from Managing Partner to Data Scientist — plus team lunch & learns. Several colleagues sought me out. Select “View Learnings” for takeaways.
My Approach
Every coffee chat was intentional. I came prepared with questions designed to understand the person’s world — not just their title — and to learn what actually drives success at IBM. My go-to questions included:
What does a day in the life look like for you?
What inspired you to take this role?
What responsibilities define success for you — and how are you measured?
What skills and qualities are most important in your position?
What IBM roles do you work with most often?
What do you like most about your role?
Where do you see your practice going in the next five years?
What is your best advice for an IBM intern?
May I connect with you on LinkedIn?
Michael (Mike) Mojica
Managing Partner — Strategy & Transformation
Key Takeaways: Client Zero = "Eat Your Own Cooking." ESA framework: Eliminate operating complexity, Simplify end-to-end workflows, Automate manual tasks. IBM Principles for Trust & Transparency. Quarter-end deal rush dynamics. Push-pull in client pricing negotiations. Career in sales within consulting.
Sri Narasimhan
Head of Strategic Sales — Tech & Media
Key Takeaways: Strategy deals average $10M–$50M+. Target CTO with tech vision, COO with operating model. Career advice: "Don't worry about the plan at 21. Gather data points. Research, learn, be a sponge. You can't triangulate a trajectory without first building a data set."
Roi Zahut
ICA Edge Builder
Key Takeaways: AI agent architectures, model selection (Sonnet 4.6 vs Opus for autonomous work), workspace management. Provided 10+ UX suggestions influencing product development. Connected with his network (Sri, Or Turner). Learned about Aterian and entrepreneurial tech.
Shannon O'Connor
Senior Managing Consultant — SAP Procure to Pay
Key Takeaways: Weekly 1:1 mentorship. Goal setting, feedback cadence, professional growth. "Help difficult clients think YOUR idea is THEIR idea — lead them to the answer." Wave Method for implementation (between waterfall and agile). Career navigation in consulting.
Samantha Hadi
Package Consultant — SAP Procure to Pay
Key Takeaways: Weekly buddy check-ins. SAP Supplier Enablement workflows. Client analysis collaboration and data interpretation. Day-to-day consulting rhythms. 1+ year tenure on the account — deep institutional knowledge.
Angela (Angie) Fan
Senior Consultant — SAP Procure to Pay (Ariba)
Key Takeaways: Shadowed extensively — AskS2P navigation, Azure analytics, Ariba implementation methodology. Weekly AI/AskS2P learning meetings. 6 years IBM tenure, Ariba Implementation Lead. Full process of navigating AskS2P and Azure for analysis updates.
Merrick Gilston
Senior Experience Consultant
Key Takeaways: "At IBM, we charge for people's skills and time — that's really what the client is paying for." Shared his client work and helped break down the power of networking and chain of command. Discussed the variety of fields within consulting. Connected me with people in the Adobe suite. Reinforced that relationships and expertise are the real product.
Taylor Vaden
Managing Consultant — Talent Transformation
Learnings coming soon
Or Turner
Data Scientist — Data & Technology Transformation
Learnings coming soon
Lunch & Learn — Project Managers
Group Session · PM Roles & Responsibilities
Key Takeaways: Learned about the PM role in consulting — how to "put out fires," manage competing priorities, and keep delivery on track. Discussed real-world scenarios where PMs navigate escalations, resource constraints, and client expectations simultaneously.
Sri Narasimhan
Head of Strategic Sales — Tech & Media
Key Takeaways: Advises on strategy and deals ($10M starting, ~$50M average). "When presenting to a CTO, target exactly what they value; to a COO, focus on the operating model." Career advice: "Don't over-plan at 21 — gather data points, be a sponge, then triangulate a trajectory. You can't triangulate without a data set."
Roi Zahut
Creator of ICA Edge
Key Takeaways: Ongoing collaboration with the builder of ICA Edge. Provided 10+ UX/UX improvement recommendations from real usage, reported bugs, and connected him with intern teams across offices (Dallas, Durham) who used Edge in their Capstones. Learned agent model selection (Sonnet vs. GPT), quality gates, and task-plan design directly from the source.
James, Lucas, Jordan & Andrew Walter
Additional 1:1 Coffee Chats · July
Key Takeaways: Four additional coffee chats across the practice, expanding my internal network and exposure to different roles and career paths. Several colleagues also sought me out for chats — a signal of the relationships built during the summer.
Connor Harootunian
Enable@IBM Advisor & Agile Coach · Americas Enable@IBM Team, SAP
Key Takeaways: Discussed agile coaching methodologies within IBM Consulting, how Enable@IBM supports practitioner development across the Americas SAP practice, and strategies for navigating career growth through enablement and advisory roles.
Lunch & Learn — IBM × Sevilla FC
Group Session · Sports Activation & Brand
Key Takeaways: Learned about IBM's partnership with Sevilla FC and the activation work behind it — how IBM technology and consulting extend into sports, fan engagement, and global brand partnerships.
Testimonials
Feedback Received
Feedback that comes to my mind would be mostly just positive reinforcement for what you've been showcasing so far — Don't be afraid to speak up, ask questions on things you don't know, volunteer for things you're unsure of, and don't ‘hide in a corner’ for lack of a better way to put it. I think you've got the right mindset for what consulting is and if you continue with it it'll bring you forward if you decide to continue in the career path.
Ben Steinberg
Supplier Enablement Lead — IBM Consulting, Client Account
Additional feedback from Shannon, Angela, and other team members will be added as the internship concludes.
Coming Soon
End-of-internship reviews
Lessons Absorbed
Wisdom from Mentors
The ideas and advice that shaped how I think about consulting, clients, and career.
“Trust is earned in drips and eroded in buckets.”
A principle I carried into every client and team interaction
“You can't triangulate a trajectory without first gathering a data set. At 21, be a sponge — research, learn, collect data points. The trajectory comes later.”
Sri Narasimhan · Head of Strategic Sales, Tech & Media
“Client Zero — eat your own cooking. We rethink everything in order to outthink everybody else.”
Michael Mojica · Managing Partner, Strategy & Transformation
“With a difficult client, help them think YOUR idea is THEIR idea. Lead them to the answer — they're far more likely to change and evolve.”
On navigating client relationships
Reflections & Lessons
What This Summer Taught Me
The moments that shaped how I think about consulting, business, and staying steady under pressure.
01
Witnessing a Quarter Close — and keeping your head up
I got a front-row seat to the end-of-quarter rush and IBM's Q2 2025 earnings. IBM beat Wall Street — $17.0B revenue (+8%), EPS of $2.80 vs. $2.65 expected, and raised its full-year outlook — yet the stock still slid on a slight software miss. The lesson stuck with me: the market's first reaction rarely tells the whole story. Real strength — growing margins, a $7.5B GenAI book, disciplined execution — doesn't always show up in the day-one headline. Learning to keep your head up when the surface read looks discouraging is a skill in business and in a consulting career.
02
Selling is a relationship, not a transaction
Shadowing the quarter-end deal rush and talking with Mike Mojica showed me the push-and-pull of closing: a client wants a better price, and IBM weighs what concessions make sense. The best consultants lead clients to the answer — helping them feel that the right idea was theirs. Influence beats insistence.
03
Trust is earned in drips and lost in buckets
Every small, reliable delivery — a clean analysis, a doc that actually helps, showing up prepared — earns a little trust. I learned to protect that compounding by being consistent, asking questions early, and never overpromising. It's the quiet foundation everything else is built on.
04
Gather data points before drawing the map
Sri Narasimhan's advice reframed how I think about my career: at 21, you can't triangulate a trajectory without first collecting a data set. So I said yes to a lot — coffee chats, shadowing, new work streams, a manufacturing-site visit — and let the pattern reveal itself. Curiosity now; clarity later.
What I Learned to Speak
Domain Fluency
From zero to conversational in the language of enterprise Source-to-Pay — plus a front-row seat to IBM's AI strategy.
Acronyms & Terminology Mastered
SBN — SAP Business NetworkSE — Supplier EnablementSCC — Supply Chain CollaborationS2P / STP — Source to PayETO — Executive Transformation OfficePMO — Project Management OfficeRTR — Record to ReportVIM — Vendor Invoice ManagementAP — Accounts PayableUNSPSC · Commodity Codes
Strategic Awareness
Attended IBM Consulting Town Halls and tracked the firm's direction — growing margins by embedding AI everywhere, and IBM's partnerships with Anthropic and OpenAI. Learned the systems landscape firsthand: JD Edwards (legacy) being replaced by SAP S/4HANA, with SAP Ariba connecting for purchasing and supplier processes.
Beyond the Work
Community & Culture
Showing up fully — volunteering, building relationships, and embracing IBM's culture beyond the day-to-day project work.
Bring Your Kid to Work Day
Staffed the Children’s Check-In Desk (AM), then led an afternoon guided tour of the office — covering IBM’s business, operations, and culture. Received direct praise to manager from multiple attendees.
IBM OMA Intern Scavenger Hunt
Team-building across the OMA office — getting to know the intern cohort.
NYC IBM Summer Town Hall & BBQ
Community gathering at One Madison — connecting across teams and levels.
THINK #LikeanIBMer — Intern Toast
Intern-week celebration recognizing the summer cohort's contributions.
Mets Intern Day Outing
End-of-summer cohort outing — strengthening the intern network.
Monthly OMA Run Club
Wellness and community — building relationships outside the office.
Notre Dame Intern Connection
Alumni networking — connecting with fellow Notre Dame IBMers.
Intern Bob-a-thon Showcase
Cross-office intern showcase — celebrating capstone and project work.
In Pictures
Moments from the Summer
A visual look at the internship — site visits, team moments, presentations, and milestones. Photos to be added.
ICA Edge blocking its own task — “pending Oracle Cloud access” — the moment that sent me down the rabbit hole.
