A lot has changed on campus in the past four years. The class of 2012 has seen the construction of the Anderson Student center and Anderson Athletic and Recreation center. We have seen the AACSB accreditation of the Opus College of Business we have met classmates and friends from all of the United States and abroad. Some of us have studied abroad, had internships, played in national championships…etc. It has been a wild ride and I am really looking forward to the entire class really coming together one last time before we all leave the quad out through the arches as college grads. Our Senior Week and Grad Fest will really bring the class together for a twins game, a dance a laser tag event in the student center and so much more. I am going to miss this place but am ready to leave. Can’t wait to walk through the historic St. Thomas arches in a few weeks as a new college graduate! Yippee

 

At the Lone Oak Market, we worked with owner Tony Donatell to identify ways to make his business more efficient and cost-effective. The group focused on improving two aspects of Tony’s business: sustainability and business process. Two of the team members brought their experience from this past summer serving as Business Analyst Interns at Target in Minneapolis, MN and I brought a different perspective from working as a procurement intern with Nestle in St. Louis, MO.  The experiences we had at our reflective internships this past summer and what we learned in a quality management class we all took together last semester we definitely brought some good experience to the project but, boy did we learn a lot. We definitely made plenty of mistakes along the way but as a group we remained resilient and most importantly were determined to improve business for Tony and the staff, whom we got to know quite well.

This project was not only a SIFE project but we were also working on getting our Green Belt Certification. Earning a Six Sigma Green Belt , is first level of formal certification in Six Sigma Methodology. Professor and department chair Dr. John Olson taught the quality class that we all took last semester  and was the one, who supervised us through the certification process and also created the opportunity for certification. Regular customers will notice speedier service at the deli, better signage, more accessible pop machines and condiments, and new brighter energy efficient lighting. According to Tony(Owner of Lone Oak ), “The students have been great. I’ve always wanted to make upgrades like this since I bought the Lone Oak Market two years ago but I’ve never been able to find the time and the resources. The SIFE team inspired me not only to make changes now, but I also have plans for more changes in the future.”

 

If you are ever on 35 E on your way to Lakeville or Eagan stop by at Lone Oak Market off of Lone Oak Road for a sandwich or some gas. You will find speedy and delicious lunches and great customer service. It has been so much fun working on this project. It was like our first “consulting” job for the three of us. We have learned a lot and will bring these experiences with us into our careers upon graduation this spring. Read more about what we did here!