2025 | Information Technology Department: Bernie Leow

From Dashboards to AI: My IPOS Experience

Over the past three months, I had the wonderful opportunity to intern at IPOS with the ITD team. It was a truly enriching experience, one that went far beyond technical learning. I got to dive into real-world systems, contribute to impactful projects, and grow both professionally and personally.

My main project involved supporting the Go-Live of Data Analytics and Sharing (DASH) 2.0, a platform designed to enhance the data analysis and reporting capabilities of IPOS officers. I worked closely with engineers and business users to understand reporting needs, identify KPIs, and support the development of data pipelines and dashboards. Through this, I gained hands-on experience with AWS Redshift, where I learned about ETL processes, data transformation, and validation using stored procedures.

Beyond DASH 2.0, I worked on the IPOS AI Adoption Report, which tracked usage of AI tools across the agency. This project sharpened my data storytelling skills, through creation of visualisations that highlight adoption trends and framing of insights to drive higher engagement. It taught me the importance of designing data visualisations with intent, to ensure insights are not only clear but also actionable and meaningful.

Moreover, following my interest in AI and user experience, I conceptualized and built the IPOS Onboarding Buddy, a GenAI-powered chatbot to support new hires. I applied prompt engineering techniques and structured responses using a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework. My focus was on maintaining a consistent tone while ensuring response accuracy and relevance. I enjoyed experimenting with Large Language Models (LLMs) and seeing how prompt design and knowledge structuring impact performance.

Beyond technical skills, this internship has helped me gain more confidence in navigating professional environments, from actively sharing my views during meetings to communicating effectively with cross-functional teams. I am incredibly thankful to have had the chance to learn and contribute in such an inclusive environment.

A heartfelt thank you to my mentors, Grayson and Dagen, for their patience and guidance throughout the journey. Whether it was walking me through technical concepts or encouraging me to think critically about product value, they played a key role in shaping my experience. I am also grateful to the wider ITD team for their constant support and kindness. I felt comfortable asking questions and contributing, knowing I was in a space that encouraged learning and growth.

This internship has been an invaluable chapter in my learning journey, and I am excited to carry these lessons forward as I continue to grow in the field of data and technology.