Analytics Manager Adam Knapp uses Big Data to build 25% of the World’s Passenger-Jet-Engines
The Follow-Up Blog highlights industry trends, insights and keys to success from today’s top sales leaders and executives. Today we caught up with Adam Knapp, Analytics Project Manager at Pratt & Whitney, a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units.
Adam Knapp is currently the Analytics Project Manager for the senior executive team at Pratt & Whitney developing aerospace technologies that power a full 25% of the world’s passenger-plane engines. He is charged with applying big data analytics to identify manufacturing issues and enhance efficiency across the company’s global supply chain. Adam has an Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Syracuse, a Master’s in Data Science from WPI, and an MBA from Oxford University. I caught up with Adam via email this past week to learn more about his experience using Big Data to impact his Supply Chain (all views below are his and his alone!).
MH: What’s the “elevator pitch” for your company? What is your role and how are you impacting the business at a high level? Why did you choose to do this?
AK: At Pratt & Whitney we build the most advanced aerospace hardware in the world, everything from jet engines to escape slides. My role focuses on process improvement, particularly through IT tools. The Aerospace market is undergoing tremendous growth and my team is improving the supply chain to ensure we can continue to meet the growing demand.
I chose the aerospace field because of its complexity, size, and career potential. First, as an engineer, I was looking for a career that was technically challenging. Few things are more challenging than getting a jet to safely and reliably fly around the world for an affordable price. Second, I wanted to enter a large company that had room to move around. I previously worked for a number of small consulting firms. While I enjoyed the jobs their size prevented me from exploring new opportunities. Finally, I wanted career growth. The aerospace market is booming because of rising demand across the globe. Meanwhile, the average aerospace worker is nearing retirement age. I realized that the combination was a great opportunity for younger workers such as myself.
Of your past professional experiences, which has been the most important in preparing you for what you are doing today? Why?
Consulting-engineering was the most important because it improved my project management skills and my communication skills. I started my career doing technical consulting for manufacturing plants and municipalities. This field forced me to learn how to adjust the scope of a project to fit in the available time and budget. Meanwhile, it also forced me to give technical presentations to non-technical audiences. As I progressed in my career I realized how much I undervalued the need for clear communication and that superior communication, not technical skill, is more often the key to success.
Can you tell me about a time or event in your life where you had to deal with adversity? Where things didn’t go as planned? How did you overcome these obstacles? Did this learning help you out in your professional career?
I had a lot of adversity in my childhood and it taught me to focus on progress, not perfection. I grew up in a poor, blue-collar family and we moved around the country living in cheap apartments and trailer parks. I barely graduating high school and finished in the bottom quarter of my class. After graduation, I realized that I had to change my direction in life. I enrolled in Community College and didn’t think I would make it through the first semester. During this semester I realized I didn’t need straight A’s, I just needed to pass. Once I started passing classes, I challenged myself to improve my GPA each semester. These small wins gave me the confidence to continue on to get a masters degree from Syracuse University and an MBA from Oxford University. This continued focus on progress has been invaluable in my career.
What is your team currently using your sales stack? A major CRM platform? anything else? What have you found good & bad about each?
Earlier in my career as a technical consultant we were using spreadsheets to track sales leads. This lead to all of the typical problems of spreadsheet-based systems: no version control, poor collaboration, and little mistake proofing.
How has the sales and business development software changed since you started your career? Is it getting better? What do you think the future of sales software is?
The rise of web-based sales platforms has definitely been a big improvement during my career. These products are a big step forward because they make it so much easier to share information across teams. I think that voice-controlled products like Follow-Up are the future. These voice controlled tools will reduce the transactional friction of sharing information across teams. If Amazon can use voice control to sell more products then Follow-Up can use voice control to keep sales teams better synchronized.
What do you wish you had learned before you were 30 that you didn’t, and had to learn later? What advice do you have for your younger self or for those who are thinking about making a career change or going to start their own company?
I wish that I had realized that the idea of a lone genius inventor is false. I have seen too many instances where single individuals are credited as the genius who invented a product or service. The reality is that the overwhelming majority of major innovations come from teams of dedicated people. If I had dispelled the myth of the lone genius earlier in my career I would have focused on how I can improve teamwork and communication skills and paid less attention to technical skills.
Anything else you’d like to share with The Follow-Up Blog community? This could be what’s coming up for your company or you personally, or it could be your thoughts about how college/grad school or your first job impacted your journey to success!
I am excited to see what other business process Follow-Up might be able to improve with their voice controlled technology!
Thanks so much for the opportunity to learn about your journey from a blue-collar background to an Oxford Blue working in aerospace technology Adam! If our readers are interested in the leader in jet-engines check out Pratt & Whitney. And if you found this interview on The Follow-Up Blog helpful, please applaud and share with your colleagues!