The launch of #MeritLabsByMeritto and the story of its first challenge

Welcome to a realm where innovation isn’t just a buzzword, but a daily adventure. Here at Meritto, our team of #MeritMakers is relentlessly pushing boundaries. Every day is an opportunity to expand the horizons of what’s possible in student recruitment and enrollment. This blog post unfolds the tale of how we took an audacious leap forward and embarked on a journey that has been a source of inspiration right from day 1.

Introducing #MeritLabsByMeritto- a centre of innovation challenges

Back in November 2023, we ignited a spark at Meritto with the launch of #MeritLabsByMeritto – our very own innovation centre. This initiative bridges our regional and head offices, nurturing a culture where innovation, teamwork, creativity, and yes, loads of fun, come alive. It is a series of innovation challenges that are planned to run throughout the entirety of our journey as the Operating System for Recruitment and Enrollment. And what better way to kickstart this than with our inaugural challenge – the GPT Challenge! 

Breaking boundaries with AI- The #MeritLabs Innovation Challenge 1.0

AI is not just a trend; it’s a revolution, simplifying lives, supercharging productivity, and offering dynamic solutions in real-time. As the world dives deep into the wonders of AI, we at Meritto asked ourselves, “Why should we stand on the sidelines?” This curiosity sparked the inception of our first #MeritLabs challenge.

You’ve probably heard of ChatGPT, but do you really know its full potential? This is something many are still discovering.

Recent upgrades have transformed ChatGPT into a groundbreaking platform for creating and customizing GPT models – no coding required! Imagine integrating these tailor-made GPTs into any system. This marked the beginning of our month-long, mind-bending challenge- the GPT challenge.

So, what was the challenge about?

It was straightforward and far from rocket science. Our #MeritMakers were to form teams and register by November 25th. Their mission? Develop a GPT agent that solves a business problem for Meritto or boosts our efficiency, internally or externally. Whether it’s streamlining our processes or devising novel customer solutions, this challenge was the perfect stage for our #MeritMakers to showcase their creativity, innovation, and lasting impact. But wait, there’s more.

The ultimate reward

What was at stake? The winning team(s) would dive into a prize pool of up to 1 lakh INR. Yes, you read that correctly. But, as with any great challenge, there were some crucial rules to follow:

1. When we laid down the rules for our #MeritMakers to form their dream teams, we had specific ideas in mind. Each team needed to have between 3 to 10 members, with a designated team captain at the helm.
2. From start to finish, we established a clear communication protocol for teams to follow throughout the challenge, including channels for inquiries, updates, and feedback.
3. As the December 15th deadline for the initial proposal and final GPT agent submissions loomed, we witnessed something extraordinary.

When a total of 200 #MeritMakers registered

We were pleasantly surprised and shocked. Little did we expect such a huge number and enthusiasm from the participants, translating into 21 teams in total. The overwhelming response to our inaugural MeritLabs challenge was a clear indicator of the excitement and commitment within our #MeritMakers. Here’s how the process went from here:

1. December 15th arrived, marking the proposal submission deadline.
2. Our judging criteria were rigorous, focusing on innovation (solving a potential use case to enhance business operations or efficiency), scalability (the potential to evolve the solution into a full-fledged module/product), and functionality (the extent of AI utilization).
3. From this incredible pool of talent, only 10 teams advanced to the presentation round. It wasn’t just a test of the participants’ ingenuity but also a challenge for our judges to select the finalists for the grand finale.

And then came the finale– Top 3 teams in the spotlight

January 5th marked the culmination of our month-long journey, a day charged with anticipation and excitement. It was the grand finale of the #MeritLabs challenge. The spotlight was on the top three teams: The Gladiators, Ctrl Alt Defeat, and Team in Yellow. 

They took center stage, not just before the judges but in front of the entire Meritto family, gathered in the cafeteria, and were joined virtually by our regional office teams. The atmosphere was electric, a blend of support and awe for the incredible innovations our teams had developed. Here are some of the day’s standout moments:

1. While each team was tasked with devising a single solution, either internal or customer-facing, The Gladiators surprised us all by presenting not one, not two, but three innovative concepts.
2. In a twist to the typical judging process, the audience’s votes were also factored in to crown the winner. This added an exciting, democratic element to the event.
3. Each team’s live demo left the audience spellbound, showcasing their creativity, perseverance, and the groundbreaking ways they harnessed AI to develop their custom solutions.

The winner is…

The moment of truth arrived. With a combination of audience votes and judges’ scores, Team in Yellow emerged victorious. Ctrl Alt Defeat and The Gladiators followed as the second and third place winners, respectively. The winning teams were rewarded with prizes of INR 51,000, INR 21,000, and INR 21,000. 

And this is how our #MeritMakers got battle-ready to conquer the challenge

What lies ahead now?

While this was just the beginning, we are gearing up to share a whole lot of inside scoop on what’s coming ahead from #MeritLabsByMeritto. But hey, no spoilers just yet—we’ll spill the beans when the timing’s perfect. Stay tuned! ?