Get to Know HDM Subject Matter Experts Arun Venkatesh and Shilpi Bhadoria
Names: Arun Venkatesh, Senior Product Data Specialist, and Shilpi Bhadoria, Business Process Analyst
Company: Rockwell Automation
Years in the electrical industry: Arun – 13 years & Shilpi – 10 years
Years at current company: Arun – 5 years & Shilpi – 10 years
What inspired you to pursue
a career in the electrical industry, and how did you
get started?
Arun – My journey into the electrical industry was sparked by a fascination with understanding how things work with an ardent desire to work with my hands. Landing a job within the same domain has provided me with a unique space to experience products and delve into their working nature.
Shilpi – The electrical industry became my path unexpectedly after finishing my MBA. I sought to join a reputable organization, and Rockwell Automation stood out as the perfect fit with its reputation as an industry leader. Beginning in the Integrated Supply Chain team, I’ve navigated through various roles and functions over the past decade.
What is your current role and how does your responsibility relate to data and data management?
Arun – I am a part of the PIM data factory team, and my role is more focused on enriching the product information which enhances customer experience by ensuring they find the right product.
Shilpi – I am a part of the Partner Experience team and work on improvement of our processes and various data sets as it relates to our partners. Data is crucial for our customers in several ways, as it forms the foundation of their operations, decision-making processes, and overall business strategies. From a product data perspective, I am leading the HDM initiative for Rockwell in collaboration with our Product data experts.
How would you describe your data management philosophy?
In our perspective, data management centers around centralization, standardization, and enrichment. Effective business processes are driven by maintaining accuracy, accessibility, and data enhancement.
What do you like about working with IDEA?
We really appreciate the partnership they drive with manufacturers and distributors.
Working with IDEA presents an opportunity to enhance product information by offering a centralized repository for high-quality data, tailored to meet both current requirements and anticipated future needs.
How have your experiences helped you as a SME? How have you or your company benefited from being a part of the HDM initiative?
Having collaborated with numerous customers and experienced diversified product lines over the years, I’ve gained a comprehensive perspective that enables us to pinpoint essential and critical attributes across various product categories.
How have you or your company benefited from being a part of the HDM initiative?
Our distributors and customers expect standardized product data and attribute mapping and the HDM initiative has provided an opportunity for us to review our data holistically along with different standard mapping. Based on some early feedback from our distributor, even the preprocessor tool’s capability to standardize product data automatically is of great benefits as it significantly reduces the need for manual intervention, saving time and resources while improving the overall quality and reliability of our data.
If someone is thinking about joining, what advice or encouragement would you give them?
By joining the HDM initiative, you’re not only opening doors to valuable learning opportunities but also gaining access to a wealth of insights into the vast landscape of data available today. This exposure can be incredibly enlightening, offering perspectives and approaches that you may not have considered before.
In essence, joining the HDM initiative is a proactive step towards staying at the forefront of data management practices, fostering collaboration, and driving continuous improvement within your organization. So, our advice would be to embrace this opportunity with enthusiasm and an open mind, knowing that the benefits extend far beyond the immediate goals at hand.
What are some of the latest trends and technologies in the electrical industry, and how have these impacted your work?
The push for sustainability, advanced materials and smarter systems are all shaping the future of the electrical industry making it more efficient and interconnected. These emerging technologies and by leveraging skills and insights lead to development of new products with cutting edge solutions that are capable of meeting demands of future.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing the electrical industry today, and how do you see them being addressed in the future?
Customers expect more self-service, personalization, and seamless digital experiences. The electrical industry is expected to meet the customer buying preference through an omnichannel lens, and that transformation requires investments and partnerships to accomplish.
What do you find most rewarding about working in the electrical industry?
Working in the electrical industry provides ample opportunities for continuous learning and professional growth. With rapid advancements in technology and new product introductions, there’s always something new to learn and explore. Whether it’s staying updated on the latest trends and technologies or acquiring new skills through training and development programs, the opportunity for personal and professional growth is abundant.
Get Involved
If you want to help the industry solve data consistency problems, apply to be a Subject Matter Expert on the HDM Task Force.