Working on my first assignment abroad was a memorable experience that I will never forget. I was offered an opportunity to work with a client who was a renowned toy manufacturing company in 2015. At that time, manufacturing companies were just starting to explore the benefits of utilizing data to improve their businesses. The project was a challenging one, as the main objective was to help the machines produce the best quality toys for kids by avoiding deviations in the production process.

When I was first offered the assignment, I was hesitant because my second son was only one year old, and my wife would have to take care of our two boys while I was away. However, I ultimately decided to take on the challenge because I knew it was an exciting opportunity to solve a challenging problem.

As the start date approached, I felt proud to tell my five-year-old son that I would be working in the factory that produced his favorite toys. On the first day of the project, I met two of my clients who would later guide me through my assignments. I didn't know it at the time, but one of them would go on to collaborate with me on many AI projects. We immediately clicked, and we were all enthusiastic about the project.

I was amazed by the company office, but more than that, I was impressed by the fact that my client already had an excellent idea to use historical data to prevent future deviations at that time. The project went well, and we were able to successfully complete it within four weeks. We were able to identify machine deviations in the past, learn how each parameter contributed as a cause of deviation, and help the operator look at a single metric instead of monitoring many parameters at once.

We were able to stream data from the machines to the cloud and run our solution there. Although it sounds simple and smooth, in reality, my client and I worked long hours for many days, read numerous literature and conducted various experiments. On the last day, we had a fantastic breakfast, and I received a recommendation letter from my client. It was an incredible achievement, and I learned that working closely with clients, understanding the problems we're solving, and bringing our commitment to the table are the keys to success.

Looking back, I realized that taking on this project was one of the best decisions I ever made. It allowed me to gain valuable experience and build strong relationships with my clients. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to future collaborations.