Automation and transformation for the next generation at The University of Northampton
The University of Northampton is pushing forward with plans to boost the local digital and tech landscape, including a new centre of excellence for data analytics and collaborative work with innovators at Northampton General Hospital.
We caught up with Dr Patrice Seuwou PhD, MSc, MBCS, SFHEA, Senior Lecturer in Business Systems and Operation, to hear what he’s currently working on, his vision for the future and his message for businesses in Northamptonshire.
Digital Business
“I teach a Digital Business module as part of the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) course. Most businesses have gone through digitalisation and now they're going through digital transformation.
“To stay afloat, businesses have to reinvent themselves and change their business models or they'll disappear altogether.
“Overall, the programme is really wide-ranging so students go on to do many different things.
“Some are aiming to build their own business, some would like to work for family businesses and some would like to work for global organisations.
“We cover issues like eCommerce and the so-called death of the high street for retail with commerce moving online, what businesses need to know about GDPR, the digital footprint and emerging technologies.
“We also focus on cyber security and how businesses protect themselves online. We cover elements of digital marketing and strategy, service level agreements, IT outsourcing and risk management.
“One element of the module involves students being assessed when they come up with an innovative digital business idea. They come up with an idea and pitch it to an audience of investors, similar to the format for the BBC's Dragon's Den.”
The new global currency
“My first Masters was in innovative technology. We covered elements such as artificial intelligence, data mining, big data analytics, cyber security and digital forensics. Later I trained as an enterprise solutions architect. I've had to teach myself lots of different types of software when doing my first PhD - to master data visualisation and work with statistics.
“We're working on plans over the next year to open a new centre focusing on business intelligence, data analytics and system thinking. Data is the new global currency and we're trying to create a centre at the University of Northampton so we can invite guest lecturers to come and speak about changes happening in the sector, and enhance people's understanding of big data and data analytics.
“We want to build a hub that would attract experts from all over the world and create opportunities for doctoral students interested in researching this area.”
Building connections
“In the Digital Business module of the MBA, we also cover robotic process automation (RPA) and we've been working with colleagues in the NHS to understand the possibilities offered by this area.
“I recently contributed to a white paper, RPA: A Force for Good in Healthcare, written by Lucy Rose Hewitt, the Head of Automation Outreach, Engagement and Communications at Northampton General Hospital. This was a collaborative piece of work also involving Tremaine Richard-Noel, the hospital's Head of Emerging Technology and RPA Director, along with Neeti Mehta Shukla and and Dr Yan Chow from Automation Anywhere.
“The paper predicts that 80% of NHS organisations will have some form of RPA live by 2023, which could result in nearly 1 million hours of time being repurposed across the NHS.
“We recently invited Lucy to give a guest lecture on RPA. We had over 70 attendees and it was really well-received.
“The event helped inspire students to think about how RPA could work in their ideas for businesses, to help speed up and automate processes.”
The message for businesses
“We're trying to create connections with local industry because we want students who finish their MBAs to go into internships or local work placements and stay in Northamptonshire.
“My main message would be to come and speak to us. We want to build stronger links with businesses. There are so many bright graduates coming out of the University of Northampton and we want Northamptonshire to benefit from their skills and expertise.”
Check out the courses
Visit the University of Northampton website to find out about courses including: