Students tasked with tackling challenges facing industry

INNOVATION: Abertay’s call centre redesign message for telecom giant

Abertay University students produced ideas for the redesign of BT’s call centre in Dundee thanks to a £100,000 budget from the telecom giant.

The undergraduates also explored ideas for revitalising Dundee’s troubled Wellgate Centre.

The two projects closed Abertay’s fifth Innovation for Global Growth event, the only UK university venture of its kind for students to tackle real business challenges set by the actual companies.

The Scottish Rugby Union, Dundeebased people development company Insights, the Bank of Scotland and the Royal Bank of Scotland also posed challenges during the event.

Claire MacEachen, business school curriculum manager, said: “Students have an opportunity to work with business leaders in a way they would not normally have access to.

“It also boosts students’ employment prospects, in being able to show potential employers their real experience of working on solutions for industry set by industry.

“The businesses benefit from receiving innovative ideas to address their problems from people who can bring a fresh pair of eyes is sometimes not possible from within an organisation.”

Chris Brook, BT’s director of business development, said its previous experience with Abertay was positive.

He continued: “We were so impressed that we wanted to come back with this fresh challenge for our call centre.

“It has to be a positive environment where our staff will be happy to work and be effective as part of our business.”

The businesses benefit from receiving innovative ideas to address their problems. CLAIRE MACEACHEN

From left: BT director of business development Chris Brooke, Charlie Malone of Dundee Business School at Abertay University, Katharine Stevens, HR director at BT, and Ed De-Mas-Latrie, customer experience at BT Business.