HORIBA MIRA learner interview: Unlocking powerful tools through the Data Professional Diploma

Michael Demeda is a Project Engineer at HORIBA MIRA, a global provider of automotive engineering, research and test services. He joined the Data Professional Diploma to gain valuable data skills to help him work more efficiently and communicate better through data.

Can you tell us a bit about your role?

I’m a Project Engineer within the Operations Team of the Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) department. My role involves trend analysis of the data gathered during testing of vehicles, boats, and commercial products. The tests involve electromagnetic radiation to see if it breaks down the product and we analyse the data from this.  

What attracted you to the programme?  

I work with a lot of data in my role and when my manager made me aware of this programme it appealed to me as a way to learn lots of useful skills to make my job easier. I had been on few data training courses previously but it seemed that this programme would provide me with further skills and tools, which it has.   

What are you enjoying most? 

I’ve learnt a lot of new skills, for example I had heard about Power Query but didn’t know what it was or how to use it. Workshops have been fantastic, providing me with information and confidence to jump over hurdles and put the learning into practice. I’ve been impressed with the amount of new knowledge and skills there are to learn. The course content is accessible at all times online which means I can learn about topics at own my pace and then it starts to click in the workshops and 1-2-1s.   

Which tools are you already using, and what impact is that having? 

Power Query and Power BI are the two tools I’ve mainly used as a result of the programme. With Power Query, I am able to pull a large amount of data and summarise this in a single excel file to display and communicate statistics clearly. I also use it to prepare data for audits which used to take weeks and now only takes 10 minutes.  I use Power BI to produce KPIs for teams within department, and am able to make the interface very interactive and easy to use which saves time for my colleagues. 

Has the course impacted your role and reputation in the team? 

Definitely. My colleagues now approach me for assistance and help with various data related tasks, for example how they can manipulate their data and make it easier for others to understand. There are also others that are eager to learn how to use the tools themselves, especially the more basic tools, therefore I help them with this.  

Are you able to help others in the organisation become more confident in working with data? 

I’ve been able to teach colleagues how to use the tools and give progressive feedback, explaining what they’re doing and why. Some people were hesitant at first but can now interpret vast databases as a result of tools and skills I have shared.  

What would you say to others considering the programme? 

I would highly recommend the programme. It is way above the other data training courses I had previously done and it’s amazing how powerful the tools are and the time this can save you. The PDEs are really supportive and respond to questions very quickly and the online learning material is great.