Technical Business Analysis and Management

Expertise

  • Time and Expense Tracking and Reporting
  • Project Proposals and Schedules
  • Technical Leadership from Business Analysis to Implementation
  • Technical Training and Presentation
  • Business and Technical Documentation
  • Knowledge Capital Building and Sharing
  • Quality and Process Improvements

Time and Expense Tracking and Reporting

I understand the importance of billable project work and work at or above utility during the weeks I am assigned to projects. I sometimes take less time to complete tasks and those organizations that rely on revenue by time and expense should plan for multiple project assignments to keep me utilized to their standards.

With a proven track record of self-managing multiple projects and client work to quality completion, I accurately maintain my time accounting with high integrity of work ethics. I will not overstate hours or lie regarding billable time to meet unreasonable business metrics or win financial incentives based on quantity not the quality of work. I will accurately report and send in all business travel expense receipts per the firm or client’s travel policies and processes.

Project Proposals and Schedules

I have spent many years in my career in the consulting industry where clients and project managers scrutinized project performance, budgets, schedules, billable hours, etc. I have helped with the project proposals, estimates, and guessing of “how to implement” and “how many hours”, etc. Frequent progress reports were also delivered to clients and project managers. My technical knowledge and proofreading skills have helped sales, marketing, and directors accurately draft and win proposals.

Technical Leadership from Business Analysis to Implementation

Business analysis (BA) of IT systems is one of my favorite talents. I have refreshed my BA techniques by completing a college certificate course in business analysis and a separate course in business writing. During my time with the consulting firm, I was a participant in a remote business analysis course where I obtained (and still retain in my digital and print library) a copy of the BABOK (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge) and attended virtual company classes administered by a professor at the University of Texas. In addition to on the job training and practice of skills, I have taken additional professional development courses mentioned below:

University of Indianapolis Certificate Courses
• Six Sigma: Total Quality Fundamentals
• Effective Business Writing
• Introduction to Business Analysis

Case Example: Large Southern Utility

A well-known energy consulting firm hired me for an estimated yearlong project to help their client (a large southern energy/utility company) transition their Generation assets, IT communications, into the Grid Operator reliability and financial markets. I was hired on to the implementation team and we inherited a multitude of high-level design documentation that lacked practical implementation direction. I helped redesign and shape the documentation to include actual IT data transition plans, what the server and database structures would like, and what existing and new data models were needed for the transition. My success was the creation of technical application diagrams outlining the energy management systems and future implementation strategies. I delivered diagrams and technical documentation on the modeling solutions for SCADA, generation, and ICCP applications. I also lead the team in another Business Analysis role to gather requirements, discuss, and design a custom software solution for handling backup dispatch instructions.

Case Example: Grid Operator Business Analysis “Model Issue Resolution” Project

My first BA success was while working at a large Grid Operator as a direct employee. The power grid operator was growing its model and IT infrastructure but lacked a quality QA feedback mechanism to identify, communicate, and correct errors in its data models as observed by end-users such as control room operators, support engineers, and external stakeholders. The lack of a QA program had consequences in both reliability and financial operations. The solution was to start a “Model Issue Resolution Process” and I was given the assignment of surveying the end-users, support engineers, and data maintenance engineers and coming up with a process solution. After interviewing many people, I collected the response and came up with a draft process solution that I came back to those individuals. The process was perfected. At the time, we did not have budget approval to develop “web tools” but needed to get results the right way, so I volunteered to create a process driven by e-mail, an e-mail “form”. I became the project QA leader and made sure each “model issue” was resolved as approved by the “reporter of the issue”.

Some Highlights and Accomplishments of my Business Analysis “Model Issue Resolution” Project

  • Process improvement applied to a computer network and SCADA (control) model for the energy management system
  • Proposed this process, interviewed engineers and management for improvement ideas, designed process diagrams
  • Implemented process and became lead coordinator; tracked issues until completion
  • Over two years, the process became the popular way for operators and engineers to report and address discrepancies in the power systems grid models (both network and SCADA)
  • Completed weekly reports on the process performance and improvement; delivered these reports electronically to the organization
  • Followed up daily with outstanding issues and coordinated quarterly test validation activities
  • Over 1200 model issues were resolved
  • Managed approximately 200 open issues at any given time

Technical Training and Presentation

I have both experience and actual training (“Train the Trainer”) on how to effectively write a PowerPoint presentation, present, and engage the audience in short-term presentations or longer duration workshops. Actually, I lead, developed training materials, labs, and been a trainer to system operators when I worked for a large grid operator. I enjoyed making the hands-on lab activities and programmed scenarios for them to learn while doing.

Case Example Electric Utilities Grid Operator

Designed two 6‐week long classes on dynamic ratings, a new software implementation

• Created a video introduction to the department and software as seen on development servers
• Adhered to training presentation techniques to engage an audience and best transfer knowledge
• Created a self‐guided lab exercise document with screen captures on “how‐to”; included required short‐answer questions for class credit
• Setup the dispatcher training simulation environment to simulate the power system event scenarios and allow the students to perform the lab exercises I designed.
• Designed class training models for simulation

Business and Technical Documentation

I have crafted documentation on most of my projects and I often helped the business development manager draft requirements documentation as part of the proposal process. In my documentation, I utilize both my technical and business writing skills and try to include diagrams, tables, and other visual appeals to the documentation. I have probably created well over 100+ pieces of technical and/or requirements documentation in my 15 years of career.

I am very proficient with MS Office applications even to where I can program and create small business applications in Excel. I’ve used MS Office and VISIO to make attractive diagrams for many projects.

Here some case work-related experience examples:

The GMS Project

An industry-leading consulting firm hired me for a yearlong project to help their client transition their generation assets, IT SCADA communications,  etc. into the RTO reliability and financial markets. I was hired on to help direct from high-level requirements to practical design and implementation. My products included IT data transition plans, what the server and database structures would like, and what existing and new data models were needed for the transition. My success was the creation of technical application diagrams outlining the energy management systems and future implementation strategies. I delivered diagrams and technical documentation on the modeling solutions for SCADA, generation, and ICCP applications. I also lead the team in another Business Analysis role to gather requirements, discuss, and design a custom software solution for handling backup dispatch instructions. In addition to the design phase, I helped lead and complete the “hands-on” implementation work.

Technical Reporting and Documentation

• Wrote technical reports and documentation for power systems studies, software implementations, investigations, and root causes of issues
• Wrote and shared job aids for distribution to team members and internal customers
• Visually communicated “how-to” tasks with screen capture edits and process flow diagrams

SharePoint Site

• Contributed to special projects and software implementations; added documentation, test results, and other pertinent information
• Performed administrative functions such as reporting of the status of assignments, tasks, and providing status updates of special projects that are viewable throughout the company
• Created Wikipedia articles on SharePoint site to share knowledge of events to prevent re-occurrence; articles were also informational job‐training aids for multiple departments

Knowledge Capital Building and Sharing

Case Example – Grid Company

  • Wrote and shared job aids for distribution to team members and internal customers
  • Visually communicated “how-to” tasks with screen capture edits and process flow diagrams

SharePoint Site

  • Contributed to special projects and software implementations; added documentation, test results, and other pertinent information
  • Performed administrative functions such as reporting of the status of assignments, tasks, and providing status updates of special projects that are viewable throughout the company
  • Created Wikipedia articles on SharePoint site to share knowledge of events to prevent re-occurrence; articles were also informational job‐training aids for multiple departments

Quality and Process Improvement

I am committed to high-quality delivery of products, documents, and services to my clients and professional representation as an employee ambassador of my company.

Case Example: Grid Operator

A grid operator was growing its model and IT infrastructure but lacked a quality QA feedback mechanism to identify, communicate, and correct errors in its data models as observed by end-users such as control room operators, support engineers, and external stakeholders. The lack of a QA program had consequences in both reliability and financial operations. The solution was to start a “Model Issue Resolution Process” and I was given the assignment of surveying the end-users, support engineers, and data maintenance engineers and coming up with a process solution. After interviewing many people, I collected the response and came up with a draft process solution that I came back to those individuals. The process was perfected. At the time, we did not have budget approval to develop “web tools” but needed to get results right away, so I volunteered to create a process driven by e-mail, an e-mail “form”. I became the project QA leader and made sure each “model issue” was resolved as approved by the “reporter of the issue”.

Some Highlights and Accomplishments of my “Model Issue Resolution” Project

  • Process improvement applied to a computer network and SCADA (control) model for the energy management system
  • Proposed this process, interviewed engineers and management for improvement ideas, designed process diagrams
  • Implemented process and became lead coordinator; tracked issues until completion
  • Over two years, the process became the popular way for operators and engineers to report and address discrepancies in the power systems grid models (both network and SCADA)
  • Completed weekly reports on the process performance and improvement; delivered these reports electronically to the organization
  • Followed up daily with outstanding issues and coordinated quarterly test validation activities
  • Over 1200 model issues were resolved
  • Managed approximately 200 open issues at any given time