Abigail Mbugua

Meet Abigail

My name is Abigail Mbugua, and I am a recent graduate of the MSc Supply Chain Management course at Birmingham Business School. I first came to the UK from Kenya in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to study Business Management for my undergraduate degree. I have always had a curiosity and a hunger to learn more, and that extends beyond my studies. In my spare time, I am an avid baker and often cater for events, which has given me the opportunity to explore another passion of mine: discovering new cuisines and desserts. I love travelling and learning about different cultures through their food, so I guess it is fair to say that my curiosity follows me wherever I go! That same curiosity has always shaped my education. After graduating with my undergraduate degree in July 2024, I decided to continue my studies and pursue my Masters degree straight away – and I am very glad I did.

The MSc Supply Chain Management course allowed me to explore an area I was genuinely curious about while gaining hands-on experience through interactive learning. One of the things I particularly enjoyed was seeing how the concepts we discussed in class worked in the real world, through visits to logistics warehouses, Jaguar Land Rover and other organisations across the West Midlands.

What has been a highlight of your time at Birmingham Business School?

In my blog article, I share a little more about my Company Project experience with Costa Express, where I spent three months exploring their spare-parts inventory management practices. I used clustering, a data-driven method of identifying patterns within datasets, to uncover insights into how inventory could potentially be managed more effectively.So, if you are curious about what a Company Project is really like and what you can get out of the experience, stick around

As an international student continuing my studies at Birmingham, beginning postgraduate study was already a huge experience for me, but the opportunity to work on a real business challenge gave me the chance to take what I had learned in the classroom and apply it in a professional environment.

What made you choose a Company Project?

Towards the end of the MSc, students have the option of completing either a traditional dissertation or a Company Project with an organisation. Having already completed a traditional dissertation during my undergraduate degree in Business Management, a Company Project isn’t necessarily easy. You are expected to take ownership of your work, understand a business problem, work with information that may not always be straightforward and produce recommendations that are both academically sound and practically useful. But that is exactly what makes the experience so valuable.

My advice to anyone considering a Company Project would be to fully commit to it. Make the most of the opportunity to learn from your company contacts and academic supervisor but also pay attention to the soft skills you develop along the way. I was also proud to graduate with a distinction, with my performance in the Company Project playing an important part in that achievement.