How to make recommendations at a facility as an intern

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

I am an undergraduate student in my second year of study. During my final semester holiday, I have joined the water quality assessment division in my city to aid me in acquiring my undergraduate research project for my prospective year simultaneously giving me an upper hand with practical experience.

I have however noticed that the log information for water samples is input on paper forms manually to be later filed and stored in physical cabinets. I have also observed that finding a sample and its details can be tedious as one has to manually go through categories like dates sample numbers etc, actions that can be easily achieved at mouse click at the comfort of a desk. Also equipment to achieve this task is present and not usually used.

Fused with my enthusiasm for technology and how it makes fundamentally important processes easier, this has prompted me to make an enquiry to my supervisor on why an electronic system hasn't been put in place to evade the tedious paperwork. Subsequent to this enquiry will be my suggestion to put up an open source one in place for the sake of convenience.

From a conversation with one lab technician at the facility, I know that it is feasible to implement such a system with all possibilities of running electronic and manual systems parallel put to consideration.

I have good relationships with my immediate supervisors and we communicate using weekly and monthly reports where I am allowed to include challenges and recommendations as well. But being an undergrad, my writing is not very good and I fear portraying a sense of being a know it all which is not what I am hoping for as my stay is rooted in the learning process.

My questions now

• should I go ahead with this recommendation or it is not in my place to make such a contribution as a student?

• if yes how do I put my writing to ensure I evade the above mentioned circumstance?

Similar experiences with the same or related problems and their solutions will be appreciated.

Edit My question is not about a new employee as pointed out in the possible duplicate being the case that their privileges differ with those of an intern whose primary objective is gaining experience and obtaining research insights.

manpreet 2 years ago