This weblog is a part of our give attention to Cisco staff who’re “Striving for Sustainability” by discovering alternatives to combine sustainability of their day-to-day work.
After I introduced the corporate’s subsequent era environmental sustainability technique, The Plan for Attainable, final July, it led Cisco staff to surprise how you can additional combine sustainability into their work. And this may be accomplished in some ways, it doesn’t matter what space you’re employed in.
Meet Pelin Salem. She is a Radio Regulatory Technical Chief at Cisco who spearheaded an initiative on take a look at optimization at Cisco to cut back testing time, enhance vitality effectivity, and assist scale back greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions. She shares extra about her curiosity in sustainability, her skilled background, and the way collaboration is important when growing new local weather options.
When did your curiosity in sustainability start?
Pelin: I’ve all the time been related to nature and animals, volunteering for environmental and animal welfare causes. As a seventh grader, I served on the youth management staff for a Turkish non-governmental group (NGO) often called the TEMA Basis (The Turkish Basis for Combating Soil Erosion). I organized a youth march to protest the air pollution generated by an iron and metal works manufacturing facility, which was very effectively obtained and helped the group acknowledge that the following era is making an attempt to do one thing good and assist.
Later in my life, whereas dwelling in Sonoma, California, through the fall of 2017 with my then 6-month-old daughter, we skilled the worry of a pure catastrophe when a fireplace burned down half of the encompassing neighborhoods, and ash rained from the sky for weeks. It was very heartbreaking, and a number of other of our associates and colleagues awakened in the midst of the evening to their homes burning, and so they needed to run away barefoot from their houses and misplaced every little thing they owned. It was a troublesome time to see everybody endure, and there have been aftereffects, just like the air high quality not bettering for a number of months in that area. Since local weather change can exacerbate pure disasters like wildfires, I knew we couldn’t proceed what we have been doing. It made me understand that I ought to do my very best to help sustainability initiatives.
Inform us extra about your skilled journey and what introduced you to Cisco.
Pelin: My journey started with a bachelor’s diploma in electrical engineering (EE), then I immersed myself within the protection business whereas pursuing my grasp’s diploma in EE. Nevertheless, academia beckoned, and I seized the chance to embark on a Ph.D. journey. When my husband was supplied a place at a newly established worldwide analysis establishment, King Abdullah College of Science and Know-how (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, I paused my research to affix him. At KAUST, I delved into bioscience pursuing a second grasp’s diploma, pushed by a want to merge my radio frequency (RF) experience with biomedical analysis that might make a constructive influence on humankind. After a rewarding break to give attention to elevating my daughter and finishing my Ph.D., I discovered my skilled dwelling at Cisco in January 2019. The corporate’s supportive tradition and management resonate deeply with me, and I envision it as the place I’ll construct my future profession and retire sometime.
Are you able to clarify the way you began your work supporting sustainability at Cisco?
Pelin: I at the moment work as a Radio Regulatory Technical Chief throughout the Company Compliance staff below the Product and Element Operations Group. Previous to my present position, I served as a New Product Introduction Check Growth Engineer throughout the Industrial Web of Issues enterprise unit (IOTBU). Throughout my time within the IOTBU, I centered on designing manufacturing take a look at strains within the factories for brand spanking new merchandise. This concerned shut collaboration with our manufacturing companions to design environment friendly take a look at strains.
Cisco’s dedication to high quality meant rigorous testing of merchandise, which contributed to GHG emissions, particularly in energy-intensive testing areas just like the 2-Nook and 4-Nook take a look at sections the place the manufactured Cisco merchandise are examined on the high-low temperature and voltage specification limits to help high efficiency on the edges of the outlined operational circumstances. 2-Nook testing is finished at Excessive Temperature – Excessive Voltage and Low Temperature – Low Voltage corners, whereas 4-Nook testing has further corners as follows: Excessive Temperature – Low Voltage and Low Temperature – Excessive Voltage. Restricted capability in these areas might result in delays in manufacturing schedules.
To deal with these challenges, I initiated the “Test Optimization Dashboard” undertaking in March 2021. This undertaking aimed to automate and visualize the influence of take a look at optimization efforts, decreasing the time wanted for optimization and growing staff enthusiasm. Working carefully with sustainability subject material specialists (SMEs), we developed strategies to measure GHG emissions reductions ensuing from optimization.
After profitable pilots, I introduced our findings to executives, gaining help for wider implementation throughout enterprise items. Transitioning to automated workflows streamlined the optimization course of, considerably decreasing handbook entry. Collaborating with specialists, we developed plans for additional enhancements, together with a man-made intelligence (AI)-based mannequin to estimate vitality consumption.
Our ongoing efforts embrace accumulating information to coach AI fashions for GHG emissions monitoring. By highlighting the environmental influence of testing processes and advocating for optimization, we intention to advance sustainability, product high quality and innovation.
This appears like a posh undertaking. What sort of help did you obtain for it?
I’m grateful for all of the SMEs collaborating with me on this Cisco-wide effort. Cisco has high expertise in such numerous areas, and I really feel privileged to know them and get to work with them. My present group was additionally supportive and supplied me with the area to proceed contributing to Cisco’s sustainability objectives past my “regular job” duties.
I’m endlessly grateful that our Govt Vice President and Basic Supervisor of Cisco Networking Jonathan Davidson opened such necessary doorways for me and this undertaking, and his help was invaluable for the Check Optimization Dashboard to achieve a 75% enablement charge throughout Cisco. Receiving invaluable help and steerage from my government mentors and sponsors immensely helped ideate, find sources, and develop options that may assist advance sustainability in manufacturing processes.
We all know it takes a multifaceted strategy in terms of sustainability. What can Cisco staff do of their day-to-day jobs to assist scale back our firm’s environmental influence?
Pelin: All people can achieve this a lot. For instance, Cisco has a purpose that 100% of recent Cisco merchandise and packaging incorporate Round Design Ideas by Cisco´s fiscal yr 2025. And, in one other instance, packaging engineers are serving to to eradicate plastic luggage, papers, and take away accent objects that aren’t required for the standard configuration in our packaging wherever doable.
Some engineers at Cisco work on IoT know-how utilized in good constructing know-how that senses when lights must be turned off or blinds must be lowered. And our operations staff moved away from paper cups and different single-use objects in our break rooms and cafeterias.
Is there something you do in your private life to be extra sustainable, and if that’s the case, what recommendation do you may have for others?
Pelin: At dwelling, I prioritize sustainability by decreasing waste, conserving vitality, selecting environmentally pleasant merchandise, supporting native and natural choices, minimizing water utilization, using lower-emissions transportation (driving an electrical automobile or utilizing public transit, conserving flight GHG emission scores into consideration when selecting flights, and so forth.). I additionally educate my daughter (who simply turned 7) on making higher decisions for the planet.
Let’s begin small with actions like recycling correctly, conserving vitality, and supporting native companies. Each effort, regardless of how small, helps to contribute to a extra sustainable future.
Thanks for giving me this chance to share my story and I hope it is going to be inspiring for others to start out making change for a extra sustainable future inside their domains.
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