About Trillium Flow Technologies
Industry: Manufacturing
Company size: 2,300 employees worldwide
What They Do: Trillium Flow Technologies provides mission-critical valves, pumps, and aftermarket services in oil and gas, power generation, water and wastewater, and general industries.
Website: www.trilliumflow.com
Q&A with Sylvia Konopka, Accounting Manager at Trillium Flow Technologies
Q: Why did you choose Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim's graduate co-op program?
A: This wasn't just our first time hiring a graduate co-op from D'Amore-McKim—it was also our first-ever co-op experience at Trillium Flow Technologies. We chose this program because of the students' exceptional skills in interpreting data and their ability to apply their analytical knowledge to benefit the business. I'm very pleased with our decision, as our co-op proved to be a diligent worker who efficiently and effectively applied her analytical skills to a diverse range of tasks.
Q: How has your graduate co-op benefitted your business?
A: Our graduate co-op started her role at a critical time after a team member had recently left the company. We needed time to find the right new hire and fell behind on essential projects. She quickly proved competent and conscientious, allowing us to progressively give her more complex projects. By the end of her three months with us, she brought us up to date on our projects and ensured a smooth transition for our new hire.
Her exceptional project management ensured business continuity during a challenging period, allowing us the necessary time to thoughtfully select a new team member, knowing that essential work was capably covered.
Q: Can you provide examples of projects undertaken by graduate co-ops and how these projects advanced your business goals?
A: Throughout her co-op tenure, she successfully managed a range of assignments, with two standout projects that left a significant impact: collections and commissions.
After she proved her conscientiousness through other projects, we gave our co-op the responsibility of managing our collections process—a challenging task given our projects' diverse nature and varying timelines. Success in collecting requires a deep understanding of customer needs and navigating complicated customer portals to collect necessary data. Rising to the occasion, our co-op handled these challenges like a seasoned pro and knew the right questions to ask to identify and resolve issues. Her diligence and swift understanding actively contributed to successfully collecting outstanding accounts, substantially boosting our company's revenue growth.
The second major project was assisting with our commission process, a complex task with varying rates for representatives across different countries and product categories. Ensuring accuracy in commission calculations required meticulous data verification, a keen analytical mindset, and proactive communication with colleagues to address oversights in commission eligibility. Despite the complexities of managing multiple systems and modules, the co-op successfully navigated challenges, posed insightful questions, and showcased a growing understanding of the processes. Over time, the co-op independently verified data accuracy and requested clarification when necessary, showcasing a precise and careful approach crucial for accurate commission calculations.
Q: Do you plan to hire more co-op students?
A: After this experience, I welcome the opportunity to hire more graduate co-op students from D'Amore-McKim, especially during our busy period in the summer. We've witnessed the tremendous value D'Amore-McKim students bring to our company. These students meet and exceed our expectations, readily taking on significant and strategic projects. With their innovative thinking, strong analytical skills, and sharp business instincts in navigating complex challenges, they are invaluable assets to our team. We look forward to building upon our strong partnership with D'Amore-McKim.
