A few months ago I got the opportunity to go to Deloitte in real life, just days before the quarantine. On 7th March 2020, Deloitte organized some workshops on different IT topics.
You could choose between:
- Analytics: demonstration of the power of data and analytics by presenting a hands-on use case in Python
- Blockchain: demonstration of how bitcoin and blockchain are used in the corporate world
- Cloud: demonstration of a typical cloud strategy project, showing how Deloitte supports its clients in strategically planning their business disrupting and transforming cloud journey
- Cybersecurity: demonstration of what a cyber-attack may entail, and how organizations get ready to face them
- Enterprise architecture: demonstration of how big companies manage to successfully adapt their business
- IoT: Interactive session with practical, real-life use cases and experiences, sharing Deloitte’s point of view on IoT
- Next-generation SAP: interactive session to learn about what it takes to unlock value with SAP
- Phygital experience: demonstration of the digital transformation in the way people interact with companies, technology, and each other
- Robotics: workshop to learn what Robotics (RPA) is, what it isn’t and how it can transform enterprises by introducing a virtual workforce
- VR & AR: illustration of the enormous potential of AR/VR
Registration
Everyone had to choose exactly 5 different workshops in advance. I chose Analytics, Cybersecurity, IoT, Robotics, and VR & AR. During the registration, you could also sign up for a shuttle to take you to the exact location.
Because I am from Bruges and the connection between Bruges and Brussels is time-consuming and I did not know how to get to Deloitte from the train station, I chose the comfort of a shuttle starting from Ghent.
I would definitely recommend taking the shuttle if you plan to go to one of the upcoming masterclasses; I made some new friends and even talked to some of the employees of Deloitte on the way! That way I learned about some very interesting – even funny – security projects they have done in the past.
Arriving at Deloitte
I still remember how I felt the moment I entered Deloitte…
We arrived around 10:30 am. As soon as we entered the building, we came in an enormous open space filled with light and greenery with a huge and colorful construction in the middle. Music was playing by a DJ and people from around the country were chatting.
We gave our name to get a badge with a color code and a card with our scheduled workshops, in the order we chose at our registration.
The workshops
After a welcoming speech, we could go to our first 2 workshops. Every workshop took only 30 minutes. A shame, because they were all so interesting and I always wanted to know more.
My first 2 workshops were AR/VR and Robotics.
In AR/VR they showed us some apps already using AR/VR and explained why they could be an added value in your daily life. We talked about the IKEA app that made it possible to test their furniture in the layout of your house and apps that made it possible to try on shoes or makeup before buying them! We could also test VR glasses. It was a fun workshop and I think the employees had even more fun with the glasses than I had.
In Robotics we got a general explanation of what RPA means and what companies already make use of it. They explained the differences between robotics and AI and gave us some well-known examples of robotics.
Lunch break!
At 12:30 pm it was time to eat and ask each other about our experiences with Deloitte so far. We had a lot to talk about how very excited we all were.
Lunch break was also the perfect moment to network. One of my friends was an intern at Deloitte at the time so he introduced me and my friends to some of his colleagues.
‘Stilthouse’ – Arne Quinze (2017), a symbol for Deloitte’s dialogue, durability, and diversity
More workshops
After we had filled our bellies, our next 3 workshops started.
In the workshop for Analytics, we got a short explanation about how AI works and after that, they talked about some of their projects with the port of Antwerp as a great example, where they retrained the Yolo v2 AI model to determine what spots were free for ships based on their size.
At IoT, they explained what IoT is and how companies use it in their workflow. We also got an AR demo of an IoT device.
After a short break, it was time for our last workshop. For me, that was Cybersecurity. In that workshop they showed us Deloitte’s pentest process (kill chain) and what legal aspects are associated with every step.
Deloitte’s office challenge
After all 5 workshops, it was time for Deloitte’s office challenge. Based on the color on our badge, we were divided into groups. Every group was assigned an employee who took you through the building.
The challenge itself was more like a tour with questions about Deloitte or the workshops in some rooms. But that way we could see Deloitte’s fitness and conference room where the partners of the company would meet.
The end of an educational day
After the challenge, we could take some pictures with our (new) friends – which I did, of course – to remember that fun day, and afterward we all got a Certificate of Excellence as proof of our attendance.
Around 5:00 pm we took the shuttle back to Ghent. The trip back was even more fun than the trip to Deloitte. After all, now we had a lot to talk about because everyone did different workshops. Also, we had many more specific questions for the employees coming back with us.
Recommended?
Overall I didn’t learn many new things, but that’s maybe because I chose topics I already knew something about. And 30 minutes is only just enough to give a global view of how everything works and how working in that department of Deloitte would be.
So… Would I suggest this event if you want to learn new things? Not if you know already something about it. But would I recommend this if you want to get to know Deloitte and make new ambitious friends? Hell yeah!
I hope this post was helpful. Feel free to ask me some questions in the comments!