Project Manager
AllaboutXpert
Total years of experience :39 years, 9 months
I am managing 5 different projects for the Western Cape Government for the implementation of ECM and workflow to replace all manual and paper driven processes with all departments. I have 5 teams of 40 people in total working under me on these projects. In this role I am expected to interact from executive level down to ground level employees within the organisation.
I was managing several projects for a Datacenter Implementation for Standard Bank in Ghana. The project consists of an Infrastructure Implementation project that involves the establishment of the hardware component of the Datacenter including power infrastructure, cabinet infrastructure for a server room, and a LAN and WAN infrastructure. It also has a Server project for the implementation of all servers, application and database servers for the Standard Bank banking applications. This includes Internal and client facing systems of the bank. It also includes the establishment of a Disaster Recover (DR) system Project for the banking operation in Accra, Ghana.
I managed a project to automate systems implementation and roll-out of billing, Policy and transaction management software for Mobile Phone operators. This entailed managing 2 project teams, one was a local team and another dispersed team with people working from 3 different continents. Strict control and monitoring had to be used to ensure the teams stay informed and motivated and nothing prevent them form achieving success in the outcome of their tasks. My daily tasks involved managing scope with the client, having daily stand-up meetings with the project teams and monitoring tasks and scope against time and budget. We use the Agile Scrum methodology within all the projects at Openet.
I firstly managed a project for the implementation of back-end software for policy and transaction control for a new mobile vendor called 8TA which has since been renamed as Telkom Mobile. This entailed engaging with the client to establish the specification and then draw up all relevant documentation of the initiation of the project. I then assembled a team given the constraints such as time, scope and budget to successfully complete the project.
Strict monitoring had to be done to ensure expectations are managed from a client perspective and project resources have all obstacles removed to enable them to accomplish their tasks.
Retrospective meeting were held after sprints to ensure problems encountered are correct in subsequent sprints.
ERP Division: I was recruited to manage a short term project for the implementation of an online signage application system that that uses the SAP R3 document management, workflow and Case management system. This forms part of the e-Services project initiative within the City of Cape Town to supply their services to the public via an internet interface using a Web browser.
• Set up a collaborative development environment with Versioning System, Code re-use library system and remote access system for code factoring.
• Design and Project Managed development and implementation of new Business Management software system.
• Design and Implement complete new hardware infrastructure. All operating system based on Open Source software.
• Design and project manager the implementation of the new communications infrastructure including:
o Bulk Email system.
o Business Email system.
o Webserver environment.
o Internet and VPN environment.
• Implementation of Radius Servers throughout the catchment area for HotSpot Managed services.
• Implementation of a Wireless Distribution system for all the Hotels and beach areas for Hotspot coverage.
• Project Management of all software development projects.
My duties with the company was as follows:
• Design and development of new electronic systems according to client requirements.
• Embedded software.
• Frontend software.
• I was instrumental in the start of a new Vending branch within the current company structure. My duties within this venture was:
• Project Management of all development for this venture.
• All TCP server development (Socket Server using PHP and MySQL)
• All Web Management Software design and coding (Using HTML and PHP with MySQL)
• All Vending Unit Software design and coding. (Using C++ )
Management of all external vendors and reporting of sales and all administrative duties.
• Redesign of current old technology processor boards to newer ATMEL technology that uses better and faster processors and bigger memory capacity.
• Redesign of software embedded solutions for the new system boards.
• Design of a Product vending system that can vend any form of product depending on hardware inserts within the mechanical interface of the machine.
Project Manage the building of systems and distribution of system to end-user premises.
• My duties included the following:
• Generating Project definition documents.
• Generating System Requirements and Specification documentation.
• Do contract management of sub-contractors on the project.
• Writing and maintaining project documentation such as:
• Project Charter
• Project Management Plan (PMP)
• System Engineering Management Plan (SEMP)
• Project Master Schedule (PMS)
• Project Gantt Charts
• Resource management of development team.
My duties during this implementation included:
• Doing client liaison with foreign and domestic clients.
• Doing contract negotiations with prospective clients.
• Managing teams of up to 5 people per country.
• Managing development and staging of project software before roll-out phases.
My duties at Com21 included the following:
• Management of all Software Projects within the company including the following:
• Do investigation into a new SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) library to be used in the Network Management System (NMS) being developed by Com21.
• Managing the development of Object Model for API that forms an interface between our Software and HP OpenView NMS software.
• Managing the development of Graphical User Interface (GUI) for our Software component.
• Managing the development of a remote application that will be able to operate over the Internet using Internet technologies.
I was managing the Y2K conversion of all the non-compliant systems from Mainframe to Client-server environments. Re-engineering of the processes also had to be done. I led work groups to resign the processes through brain storming sessions and individual interview processes. Requirements documents were generated and agreed on. Then project teams were assembled to execute the projects within the constraints of the projects. This was done under extremely tight timelines and since this incorporated most systems within the ministry of finance there were huge pressure to ensure success within the time available.
Isis is a contract house that will contract me out on a needs basis to various companies that need project management services.
My main duties at all the companies were:
1. Client liaison to establish requirements.
2. Project initiation and planning to create documents to establish scope, timelines and budget.
3. Monitoring of project execution which includes design, development, testing and user testing for acceptance.
4. Training assistance of end users and generation of training and support documentation.
5. Roll-out management and sign-off.
6 Final hand-over and project wrap-up documentation.
1. Design and implementation on first Stores management and pricing management system based on barcode scanning technology in South Africa.
2. Electronic design of communication boards.
3. Embedded software development.
4. Front End development using Pascal.
I was managing the implementation of a Local Area Network within the company and Wide Area Network in the group of companies. This entailed establishing the communication infrastructure, server infrastructure as well as ensuring users have desktop computers. I had a team of 5 people to implement the system and assist in user training and deployment.
Within this project I was responsible for:
Development of an Ethernet System (hardware and software) for a Windows-based interface.
Writing a Dynamic Link Library as the software driver for an Ethernet Monitoring System using Visual C++ as the programming language.
Hardware design of the signal processing board for the Supervisory System.
Writing software for a Control System and driver between the control program and controlled hardware.
Management of a team of 15 people for the definition and development of a stores management system for the South African Defense force. This project was cancelled after 12 months due to lack of funding.
Developing hardware on Intel 8051 Microprocessors running on the Microchannel Bus.
New development done on the Transputer T800 processor using OCCAM and parallel C as the programming languages.
Development on the Man-Machine interface on the personal computer that communicated via Ethernet in Windows using Borland and MICROSOFT C++.
Hardware signal processing design for the Rooivalk (Helicopter) Weapons System.
• My first position at Kentron was the development of a Simulation System for the ZT3 Anti-Tank missile.
This involved the knowledge of the T 1000 Transputer Technology developed by NMOS (Britain).
This technology was chosen as it was the first parallel processing technology capable of linking up to 256 processors on a single architecture for 256 processes running in parallel and giving simultaneous output onto a single output and graphics processor for real-time wire frame simulation.
This simulation System was then connected to the hardware for HILS (Hardware in the Loop Simulation), which meant that any simulation module or process could be replaced by the actual hardware being used.
The influence can then be seen of external parameters such as Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) on the rest of the system, and the communication between the weapons firing control and the input devices and monitoring systems.
I was studying with a bursary from Telkom. During my years of study I worked in the holiday periods where my duties included:
• Upgrading of transmission lines between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
• Development on the transmission and data lines for better throughput and reliability, also for coupling to Bank and SABC (South Africa Broadcasting Corporation) data and transmission lines.
• Development on radio links using X25 radio protocols for communicating via radio link to different centres within Post and Telecommunication.
• Development was done on the Mainframe computer for interfacing with communication data computers for monitoring the lines and to get statistics and trends of the data lines.
• RPG 3 was used as the programming language.
This degree is in progress and will be completed end of 2015.