Bridging Data, Business, and Team Spirit: Our Internship at Plainsight
In today’s data-driven world, bridging the gap between business and technology is more important than ever. As students in the Master of Management and IT program at Ghent University, we were eager to put this interdisciplinary mindset into practice. Our 11-week internship at Plainsight allowed us to do just that.
Throughout the internship, we each worked on a separate case that combined data modeling, dashboarding, and API integration. Margaux focused on Officient, an HR platform, while Thijs developed a financial reporting app based on data extracted from Odoo’s accounting module. Both projects relied heavily on Power BI to turn raw business data into structured insights that support smarter decision-making.
In this blog, we’d like to share our key takeaways, what we learned by doing and how the experience helped us grow both technically and professionally.
First week
The first days at Plainsight were filled with new tools, unknown terminology, and a healthy dose of figuring things out on the go. From setting up API calls to building data models in Power BI, everything felt unfamiliar at first, but that’s exactly what made it exciting. As we got deeper into the project, things started to click and what initially seemed complex gradually became manageable.
Interestingly, some of the most valuable connections were not formed during formal meetings, but rather during our lunch breaks, where we regularly played Mario Kart together. What initially seemed like a light-hearted distraction soon became a pleasant way to get to know my colleagues better. These short gaming moments helped maintain an informal atmosphere and made it easier to break the ice. Despite the technical and data-focused nature of the internship, it became clear that human interaction remains a key element of any professional environment.
Second week – tenth week
In the middle phase of our internship, the focus shifted towards the concrete development of our respective Power BI applications. We each worked on our own use case: Margaux for Officient and Thijs for Odoo. We gradually translated the data structure into meaningful dashboards. Throughout this process, we had several check-in moments to ensure we were on the right track and aligned with expectations. The team at Plainsight was always open to questions, and no matter how technical or detailed our issues were, there was never any hesitation to help.
One of the proudest moments came when we were able to present our first working dashboards: clear, interactive, and built entirely from scratch. It was the point where our conceptual ideas turned into something functional and visually impactful.
In week seven, we organized a Mario Kart tournament for the team, where our well-practiced lunch break skills finally paid off. It was a fun moment that strengthened team spirit and added a playful touch to a technically challenging phase of the project.
Final Week – wrapping up with a presentation and looking back
As the internship entered its final stretch, our focus shifted from development to refinement. We polished our dashboards, added finishing touches to the user interface, and documented the workflow so others could easily pick it up in the future. To conclude our internship, we presented our cases and findings to the Plainsight team. At this stage, we also received constructive feedback from the team, which helped us look at our work with a critical eye and understand how to better align technical solutions with business/customer needs.
What stood out during these final weeks was how much we had grown. Not just in our technical abilities, but in how we approached problems, communicated our ideas, and managed a project from start to finish. The hands on nature of the internship gave us the opportunity to apply our academic knowledge in a real world setting, bridging the gap between theory and practice. It encouraged us to think outside of the box and stay curious over the many ways there are to solve a problem.
Wrap up
Looking back, this internship taught us more than just how to build dashboards or integrate APIs. It showed us the importance of curiosity, clear communication, and continuous learning. We experienced first hand how technology can support better business decisions and how essential it is to stay open minded when things don’t go as planned.
Plainsight offered us a unique environment where learning and experimentation were truly encouraged. Whether it was through Mario Kart tournaments, informal feedback moments, or technical deep dives, we always felt part of the team.
We’re grateful for the experience and would highly recommend it to other students looking to explore the intersection of data, business, and technology. It’s an opportunity that truly accelerates both your technical and professional growth.
