Sheetal joined Envirosoft in January 2022 as an Environmental Analyst Intern and was promoted to Environmental Analyst in May. She recently joined our Implementation team and her current role is Implementation Specialist. She attended the University of Alberta and received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering with an environmental engineering specialization. Sheetal is working towards her Master of Engineering at the University of Calgary, also with a specialization in environmental engineering. This month, Sheetal shared a bit about our Implementation team, her education, and her hobbies.
Tell us a bit about your role.
S: My role is to set up our clients' sites and equipment into the Fuel Flare Vent Manager (FFVM) software. We want to empower clients to use the system to keep track of their inventories and production data, and feel confident in what they are reporting to Petrinex. An important aspect of my job is also in putting together a training for the Production Accountants and Operators nearing end of the implementation so they can use the system effectively for their different purposes (reporting for PA’s and logging of field data for operators). Because FFVM is a relatively newer software, it is also important to work with clients to understand what challenges they may be facing and how the software can be improved. Lately, I’ve been trying to take a more collaborative approach and discuss these challenges and brainstorm solutions with our team and the product team.
How did you transition from Analyst to Implementation Specialist?
S: When I started at Envirosoft as an intern, I was working hybrid-style between the implementation team and my analyst role. I enjoyed learning about the environmental regulations and assisting with emissions reporting in my analyst role. It provided a good foundation for me. I had one EM (emissions manager) implementation project at the time and it was a challenging one due to the large number of facilities to be implemented, but allowed me to think outside of the box. I also got to better understand the software complexities. I started putting my hand up for more projects like that, including an FFVM project and the opportunity eventually came up to fill a position on the Implementations team. Having the opportunity to move around and explore different areas of the company was exciting to me and I’m grateful for the support I’ve received!
What does the day-to-day of Implementation look like?
S: Every week is different! On the Implementation team, each member handles two to three clients, but we also work as a team to ensure our timelines are aligned and that we're on track to meet our goals. In November and December, I was helping out with a lot of FFVM demos for new projects and trainings for projects finishing off. For newer projects, my day-to-day involves going through client’s schematics of their sites, delineating sites for set up in the system, and then gathering relevant info through equipment lists, metering data, non-routine event logs to add to FFVM. From there, I schedule meetings with our clients to go over configuration details and we do a QA/QC at the end with the client. Then we make any final changes and they can start getting into our system for reporting. It's a lot of project management through all of the different stages!
What are you excited about on your team in the next six months?
S: We're a new team, and I think it's quite exciting to be growing and expanding our capacity to support our clients. We brought on a new Team Lead, Tim, so I think we'll be able to manage our projects a little bit better with the additional support. We'll be able to focus more on honing our own regulatory expertise. These next few months, I'm just excited about delving more into the project management and learning as much as I can about the D017 and D060 regulations. It’s important to keep up with changes to the regulations! I think one thing we want to incorporate is more of a "lessons learned" aspect to project closures, and reflecting on our projects, asking our clients for feedback, and understanding how we can do a better job in the future for them. Also, it's good to celebrate our wins - it's been a busy few months and we expect to have more time for some of those reflections and proactive components at the end of Q1.
What made you want to work at Envirosoft?
S: I thought it would be a great shift and a good way for me to jump into the environmental industry, which I had wanted to do for a long time. My background knowledge from my education is environmental, but my skills from previous employment are also working with data and doing data analysis, and in this role I get to apply both skillsets. I've taken a couple of air emissions classes in university, so it's really interesting to see what challenges clients are actually facing.
How do you feel about the impact of the work that we do on the environment?
S: I love what Envirosoft stands for. Having the data gives us an opportunity to understand what we need to do to improve it (what gets measured, gets improved!). A big part is understanding the emission volumes that are being reported and ensuring they're being recorded correctly. As an engineer, I like precision and being very thorough. With regulations constantly changing, clients rely on us for our knowledge/guidance in ensuring regulatory compliance. Pairing the engineering aspect with the environmental, it helps us find more sustainable ways to do things.
What are some of your eco-friendly habits?
S: I take the train or the bus to get to work. I choose to take transit because we're [Envirosoft] in downtown and so central. I buy a lot of organically grown foods where possible, mostly fruits and vegetables. I remember during my undergrad I used to get all of my textbooks new and full-price at the bookstore, but as a grad student, now I go to consignment stores or try to find the books I need online.
What do you like to outside of work?
S: I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I also love working out through Zumba classes which I started around 8 months ago. I'll usually go to the YMCA two to three times a week and try different instructors' classes with different dance styles. When I started, I wasn't sure I would like it, but it's pretty fun. I also enjoy cooking and baking!
What was the last thing you cooked?
S: The last thing I baked was cranberry breakfast bars and the last thing I cooked was a butternut squash & sweet potato soup. Soups are one of my favourite things to make during the winter. I love treating my body to healthy food and practicing different cooking skills.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Sheetal! To learn more about FFVM or to try Sheetal's soup recipe, click below: