The Information School is committed to equipping students with the experiences they need to succeed after graduation. A key part of this mission is providing experiential learning opportunities that connect students to real-world challenges. This spring, for the first time, a student group called Information Consulting Group (ICG), partnered with West Monroe to assess the features and capabilities of one of the company’s enterprise software systems.

This collaboration was made possible through the iEngage program, which connects industry partners with student talent. Through iEngage, West Monroe engaged ICG for a 10-week consulting project sponsored by Richard Carter, the company’s ServiceNow manager. The student team was tasked with developing a prioritized, actionable plan to help West Monroe maximize the value of its existing software. Their recommendations focused on targeted use cases, implementation guidance and adoption strategies, all designed to unlock additional value without requiring new spending.

Over the course of spring quarter, 12 students worked closely with West Monroe stakeholders, culminating in an on-site presentation to company leadership, including the CIO and IT director. The team’s final recommendations have already sparked momentum within West Monroe, where an internal initiative is now under way to evaluate implementation of the proposed changes. If realized, these improvements could generate up to $700,000 in savings over the next few years.

For the students, the project provided an invaluable opportunity to apply classroom learning in a professional setting. Informatics student Roman Nekrasov, who served as project manager, gained firsthand experience leading a consulting team and navigating how different business units leverage shared technology in distinct ways. Carter praised Nekrasov for his strong organization and ability to keep the team aligned and productive throughout the engagement.

Master of Science in Information Management student Renee Guan also found the experience transformative, noting how she was able to directly apply concepts from her coursework to a real client problem. She encouraged other students to pursue similar opportunities to bridge the gap between theory and practice and truly bring their learning to life.

This successful collaboration is a powerful example of how connecting students and industry partners can create measurable impact, for organizations and for the next generation of technology leaders. Learn more about the iEngage program on our website. 

The full list of students involved in the project: Arjun Sur, Raghav Dhandi, Joelle Liu, Anderson Liew, Ryan Mark Genova, Renee Guan, Sanam Karami, Haize Ha, Saanvi Gourishetti, Pranav Moolapattu, Eileen Kim, Audrey Wu and Roman Nekrasov.