SUMMARY OF TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE
Utopia Solutions
Naperville, IL April 2004 - Current
Practice Lead, Functional Test Automation
Utopia client engagements: Kraft Foods, Northfield, IL (April 2004 - April2005); and
CDW (Computer Discount Warehouse), Vernon Hills, IL (current)
- Current client is CDW®, ranked No. 347 on the FORTUNE 500. CDW is a leading provider of technology products and services for business, government and education, averaging 40,000 shipments per month out of the Vernon Hills location. Coordinating this massive distribution effort requires highly dependable software applications. My role here is principal consultant on the Sarbanes-Oxley controls project, and I manage a team of 3 Utopia consultants. I am charged with architecting, developing and deploying a data-driven automation framework for regression testing using Mercury TestDirector, WinRunner, and QuickTest Pro, within a 7 week timeframe. Initially, this framework will serve to incorporate business rule verification mandated for SOX compliance. It will later be extensible to all CDW order processing applications requiring increased requirements testing coverage, regardless of the target platform (AS400, client-server, and web).
- At Kraft Foods, I co-developed an automation framework for unattended desktop certification testing. Called FACT (Framework for Automated Certification Testing), this database-driven test run execution and application installation tool was used to leverage Kraft’s existing 600+ WinRunner application test scripts for unattended interoperability testing. Because this framework was “test tool agnostic”, it was also used effectively with QuickTest Pro scripts and custom vbscripts created to test Microsoft Office, Macromedia, and Adobe applications at the object level. This simplified these types of tests and greatly increased their reliability.
- These projects required my involvement at all levels of the SDLC. I participated in reviews with business and development stakeholders to establish testing requirements from a quality assurance perspective. I published test automation development guidelines and best practices for the QA staff, recommending improvements in the overall QA process. I wrote many lines of TSL code to optimize application test scripts, validate architectural concepts, and integrate WinRunner as a test tool “black box” within the framework. And always, I developed and worked to a plan, which kept the client intimately aware of project progress.
- My role at Utopia Solutions as Practice Lead for Functional Test Automation has afforded me the opportunity to become familiar with Mercury’s Quality Center and its integration with QuickTest Pro for Business Process Testing. I created a shared instance of Quality Center which the Utopia marketing department can access via the internet for client demos and proofs of concept. I have also become acquainted with test lab virtualization using VMWare’s Virtual Center, ESX and GSX Server, and Workstation products. For example, I have used this technology to create a “Kraft Test Lab in a Box” on site at Utopia’s office so that the client can be supported remotely with no impact to their live test environment.
- As one of the first Mercury partners, Utopia believes in "The Science of Test Automation"
CNA Insurance
Chicago, IL April 2003-April 2004
IT Quality Assurance Senior Specialist
Responsibilities included:
- Software QA and analysis, with emphasis on performance testing and functional decomposition of web-based and legacy systems architecture.
- Heavy use of WinRunner and Loadrunner, including scripting in TSL.
- Required knowledge of Windows XP and Unix environments, MS Office XP for presentations to teams and management.
- Received training in general knowledge of insurance industry.
- Also required: detailed knowledge of software QA processes, and development, change management, and release frameworks; participation in reviews of requirements, design documents, and implementation standards; and mentoring QA staff.
IBM Global Services
Chicago, IL April 1998-April 2003
Senior IT Specialist/Architect; Technical Team Lead for System Test and B2B Deployment
Clients were Lucent Technologies CIO in Naperville, IL, and Houston-based BP-Amoco
Responsibilities included:
- Technical analysis, operational testing, and support for BP web applications migrated to IBM hosting environments. Test plans and scenarios developed were deliverables.
- System test and support of Lucent's Oracle-based Global Product Database and legacy interfaces; requires knowledge of SQL, Unix OS and shell scripts, database architecture, development and execution of test plans, and various client-server and web test methodologies.
- Deployment of webMethods B2B server software and custom XML processing packages to remote Lucent client sites; maintaining installations; and training users in server operation and XML creation from their internally generated ERP data.
- Integration, System, End-to-End, and Performance testing of Lucent client-server applications developed with Trilogy Selling Chain software: involves requirements analysis, coding of automated test scripts using Mercury Interactive WinRunner, running manual usability tests, and reporting metrics and recommendations to project management. Also interfaced with developers, and train client's end-users.
- Managed a team of four IBM and contract staff, providing 8000 billable hours each year, in long and short term system test projects, using SEI Level 3 processes and procedures.
- As Team Lead: negotiated with customers for test intervals and adequate requirements; provided leadership, technical expertise and mentoring to staff; and shared suggestions for implementing process improvements with management.
Based on my ability to succeed at new projects, work independently or with the team, offer effective solutions to technical issues, and provide a high level of customer satisfaction, IBM management has ranked me as a "high performer".
Maxim Group Consultants (now TEK Systems)
Oak Brook, IL November 1996-April 1998
Systems Analyst; Team Lead for 2nd/3rd Level Support and System Test
Client for this contract position was IBM Global Services for Lucent Technologies CIO
Responsibilities included:
- Support and enhancement of legacy Unix/Solaris applications for Lucent's 5ESS telecommunications switching equipment: shell scripting, TCP/IP, platform interfaces, and Sybase database maintenance using SQL.
- System testing of business applications, requiring proficiency with MS Visual Basic, Visual Source Safe, Access, Excel, Project; also Trilogy Selling Chain platform testing.
- Designed service request database for IBMGS group, and implemented in MS Access.
- Hardware and software installation.
Competence in these roles led directly to my employment by IBM.
During this period, I also worked as an independent contractor to the software development department of a local corrugated box company, Gaylord Container, completing Y2K and EDI projects using Basis BBx Business BASIC running under VMS on a VAX mainframe. I completed my deliverables under budget and several weeks ahead of schedule.
The Walgreen Company - Data Processing Center
Mt. Prospect, IL October 1995-November 1996
Coverage Analyst, Intercom Plus Project
- System evaluation and support for transition of 2000+ pharmacies to the Intercom Plus satellite network distributed database, using multiple UNIX database and application servers, TCP/IP, Oracle 7 RDBMS, TUXEDO and Open Transport transaction processing.
- Interfaced with DBA's, consulting staff responsible for development of the applications, store management, and team members. Created shell scripts to monitor error logs, and resolved transaction issues between central data repository and individual pharmacies.
Harry Rohde Management Systems, Inc.
Elmhurst, IL March 1990-October 1995
- Project Leader of System/Software development: designed/re-engineered several new Business BASIC applications running on SCO UNIX and AIX platforms, while directing a team of 2 to 3 programmers to complete these projects.
- Senior Programmer/Analyst: complete development cycle, using Thoroughbred Business BASIC, Thoroughbred IDOL-IV and Gateway to Windows; UNIX shell scripting, system administration and EDI interface design.
- Management Consultant: met with clients and engineering staff to determine software requirements, then trained clients and refined the user interface following installation.
- Manager of Research and Development: October '94 to March '95, worked on a Visual Basic/Access project building a CAD-design 3rd-party interface to the estimating system.
- Performed evaluation of migration paths for legacy BASIC applications and data to a relational database/GUI client-server environment; created prototypes using MS Access & Visual Basic, with Oracle 7.2 on an AIX server connected to Windows PC clients.
Corrugated Supplies Corporation
Chicago, IL April 1978- March 1990
- Customer Service Manager: directed a staff of 4 people responsible for customer satisfaction in a high-pressure, just-in-time manufacturing environment
- Materials & EDP Manager: handled Material Requirements Projection & performance analysis; inventory control; computer hardware procurement; and responsible for design and implementation of production scheduling software.
- System administrator for local XENIX server network.
- Production Scheduler: developed more efficient, computerized methods for corrugator scheduling, leading to timely deliveries and more efficient utilization of materials.
EDUCATION
- Niles College of Loyola U. (Chicago), graduated Summa Cum Laude Degree: B.A.
Major: English Minor: Philosophy Dean's List 4 years Edward Surtz Literary Award
Technical Training:
- Olive Software: Introduction to Microsoft Visual Basic and Access
- DeVry Technical Institute: digital electronics and logic circuits
- UniSys (Burroughs) Corp.: basic and advanced computer operations (COBOL)
- Concept Omega Corp. IDOL-IV 4GL Database Programming Environment
- Thoroughbred and Basis BBx Business BASIC advanced training courses
- webMethods Developer: client and server Java applications, XML structure
APPLICATION DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Operating Systems:
- SCO Unix; IBM AIX; various distros of Linux
- MS-DOS; MS Windows 3.x; Windows 9x / NT4.0 / 2000Pro / XP
- IBM OS/2 Warp 4
Languages:
- Microsoft Visual Basic (3.0-6.0)
- Thoroughbred and Basis BBx Business BASICs
- Unix Shell Scripting
- MS-DOS/Batch Commands
- HTML WebPage Design, XML for B2B Transactions
- ASP, JSP and PHP for Server-Side Queries and Applications
- Javascript and DHTML
- Mercury WinRunner TSL and QuickTest Pro vbscript
- Windows Script Host -- vbscript for test automation of MS applications
Database and SQL:
- Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL
- MS Access
- SQL queries
QA and Change Control:
- Mercury WinRunner 8.0, QuickTest Pro 8.2, and LoadRunner 7.5 automated test scripts
- Mercury Quality Center 8.2 and TestDirector 8.0 for test plan creation and execution tracking
- Soffront TRACK defect reporting; Merant Dimensions PVCS
- Microsoft Visual Source Safe
- Spreadsheet and database driven automation test frameworks (architect and implement)
Application Development:
- Thoroughbred BASIC, IDOL-IV and OPENworkshop
- Basis BBx PROGRESSION/4 and TAOS
- Microsoft Visual Studio
Network and Internet/Intranet:
- Netscape, MS Internet Explorer, Opera
- Windows 95, 98, 2000 and NT 4.0 Server TCP/IP Networking and Dial-Up
- NFS, FTP, PPP servers and clients
Communications:
- Procomm Plus
- Windows Hyperterminal; UNIX telnet and uucp
Office Productivity:
- Microsoft Office XP: Excel, Word, Publisher, Access, and Power Point
- MS Exchange
- Visio Technical flowcharting
Graphic Arts:
- CorelDraw
- Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator
- Paint Shop Pro
Other Professional Skills:
- Presentation to management of project strategies and requirements
- Training of clients in use of applications, both on site and in a classroom setting
- Assembly, set up, maintenance, and upgrading of PC hardware and software
- Installation and performance tweaking of Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP and NT 4.0
- CMM SEI Level 3 process and procedures
- Requirements analysis and business process definition
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