Cummins - UX (Environment) Summer 2023 Internship
Cummins Rodeo Event: Experienced driving Semi-truck and RAM
Overview
During the summer of 2023, I had an incredible opportunity to work with Cummins Inc., a 104-year-old company and a global power leader in the automotive industry(engine manufacturing). In my role, I supported Cummins' PLANET 2050 strategy, which outlines ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and promote sustainable practices across its operations.
I worked on projects that challenged me to blend technology with sustainability and user-centric design.
AI Integration and Sustainability have become significant factors for many companies. Businesses are feeling pressure to enhance environmental sustainability through AI integration initiatives, which has led to questions about how and where these technologies should be integrated to solve both challenges without affecting privacy and ethical concerns. The company wanted to take a more proactive approach to these initiatives by building internal frameworks.
Summary
With a tight three-month deadline, I tackled a large and ambiguous problem that involved numerous stakeholders—a challenge that had previously seemed too complex for teams to know where to begin. I served as the expert in human-centered design methodology and strategy and provide a fresh outlook to all projects.
**Project details are limited due to NDA agreements; here's a brief overview of the 3 projects I led during my internship.
Results 🎉
2
Pilot Project Approved
Presented findings to Fortune 500 executive leaders, lead to the approval of two pilot projects for AI-driven implementation.
60+
Identified GPT keywords
From Technical competency documents, created tailored GPT prompts & classified their impact as high, medium, or low.
10+
Identified Edge cases
From customer warranty claims, to create a ML training dataset to improve machine learning-based sorting, matching, and quality checks.
Role & Responsibilities: User Research, Information Analysis, AI/ML Applications Research, Training Data Model.
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I worked with three functions: Energy Efficiency, GHG Planning and Technology, and Data Analytics.
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My focus was on understanding current needs, identifying pain points in ongoing projects, and offering recommendations for integrating AI and ML solutions.
Timeline: May 2023 - August 2023
Tools: Mural, Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Suite
Team: I reported to 3 different managers, 1 for each project. I collaborated with cross-functional teams ranging from 4 to 8 members, including, engineers, product managers, and data analysts and Business analysts
Highlights 🎉
During my summer as a hybrid intern based in Indianapolis, I had the chance to visit Cummins's Headquarter offices 3 days/week I am so glad I got to be part of Engine Plant Tours, Town Hall with Leadership, EEEC (Every Employee Every Community) Volunteer.
I established valuable connections and shared and learned from experiences in Columbus, IN.
Here are some of the highlights from my experience. 🥳
EEEC Participation: Promoting Cummins's PLANET2025 -Net Zero Goals
Cummins Headquarters Columbus, Indiana
Town Hall with Cummins Leadership : CEO (right) Jennifer Rumsey and Chief Human Resources officer (left) Marvin Boakye
Cummins Technical Center (CTC) Tour
Mid-Range Engine Plant (CMEP) Tour
Team Picnic 🧺🌟
Fun Project 🚀: Rocket Competition ; )
Project #1:
Global Environmental Monitoring Dashboard: Gathering Stakeholder Voices into AI-Driven Solutions
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Conducted semi-structured interviews with 9 stakeholders involved in the Global Environmental Monitoring Dashboard, representing various Cummins engine manufacturing facilities worldwide. The objective was to understand the current day-to-day processes in daily energy operations and data management at those locations.
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Synthesized findings into affinity mapping to identify patterns and actionable insights, it revealed critical areas for improvement and opportunities for integrating AI and ML applications.
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Successfully pitched my research and recommendations to leadership and stakeholders. Leadership approved a pilot project to integrate AI-driven predictive analytics software into the dashboard. The integration aimed to improve energy consumption forecasting and optimize resource allocation across multiple manufacturing facilities.
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This was a significant accomplishment as it demonstrates the value and potential impact of my work.
Project #2
Led Usability Testing and Requirements Gathering for New GHG &Technology Planning MVP
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Conducted 6 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from two different business units. The primary objective was to perform a user needs assessment and create user personas to understand the current day-to-day processes in calculating GHG emissions from the products and resource allocation for technology planning and that enables flexible scenario analysis, standardizes data inputs, and provides intuitive interfaces for various planning teams.
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Organized voices from interviews and usability tests and identified 4 use cases, goals, needs, pain points, and key opportunities to optimize the dashboard's interface and features.
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Analysis led to the discovery of potential capabilities to enhance the dashboard's usability and functionality for effective planning and decision-making. Synthesized these findings into a comprehensive UX report and presented dashboard requirements for MVP to the leadership team.
Project #3
Investigated the use of GPT/Open AI tools
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Project #3A: Collaborated with a data analytics team to help match warranty claims narratives with engineering calibration revision history. Analyzed over 500+ claims narratives from customers and identified 10+ edges, preparing a training data model that can be implemented in the ML algorithm for sorting, matching, and quality checks.
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Project #3B:Conducted a comprehensive analysis of 300+ experiences across different technical competencies library to evaluate their potential for GPT integration. This involved analyzing keywords from over 100 experiences and creating tailored prompts for GPT interaction. I then utilized these prompts to sort and categorize experiences based on their compatibility with GPT technology, classifying the impact of GPT integration as high, medium, or low for each experience.
*All the 3 project' work still continues and remains a key initiative for the company's goals...
Reflections 🌟
Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams 🤝
Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to collaborated closely with Engineers, SMEs, and Data Analysts and leadership. Which gave me understand the technical side of every projects and traditional workflows. Their feedback and insights were invaluable in shaping my recommendations, and I truly appreciated the collaborative environment that allowed me to learn and contribute meaningfully.
Culture 🎭
The culture at Cummins made my experience incredibly rewarding. My mentors and teammates were always approachable and willing to share their knowledge, which made it easy to ask questions, explore ideas, and gain new perspectives.
Growth 📈
This internship pushed me to navigate complex and ambiguous problem spaces while applying human-centered design principles to AI and sustainability initiatives. Leading usability testing, conducting stakeholder interviews, and exploring AI applications challenged me to think strategically, balance user needs with business goals and communicate effectively. By the end of the internship, I had not only strengthened my technical and research skills but also grown as a designer, collaborator, and problem-solver.
Huge thanks to my managers, mentors, and the TES team for making this summer an incredible experience! 🙌☀️