IT Director
Ghabbour Auto
Total years of experience :32 years, 3 Months
My major role is to lead for developing and aligning technology vision with business strategy by integrating company processes with the appropriate technology solutions according to its critical role to core organizational functions focusing on shift from Services to Value.
• Initiated a comprehensive and effective Helpdesk service unit to ensure end users receive proper assistance and obtain customer satisfaction.
• Completed Wide Area Network “WAN” communication restructuring with high availability solution design for both WAN & LAN, gradually upgraded the Local Area Network “LAN” Communication replacing the old Nortel Technology with Cisco technology providing voice and data services.
• Directed the contracting for several new projects such as of CRM solution (Oracle Seibel).
• Managed and delivered the implementation of leasing Software application for one of the group companies “GB Lease” and MASHROUY for Micro financing.
• Successfully managed the implementation of a major Oracle ERP upgrade from Release 11i to Release 12 with cost saving of over $200K by motivating and challenging the Information Technology and Oracle Application department team after ensuring that they are well-informed and received all necessary training that enabled them to effectively carry out their responsibilities.
• Oversee group’s IT investments ranging from green field plants to IT Business expansions. Expand GB Auto IT service integration and coverage to Jordan (2 Locations), Iraq (5 Locations) plus an aggressive business expansion plan to other countries.
• Oversee the development and implementation of company-wide information and communications systems which provide all required support to company operations. Optimized group IT infrastructure & application services through offshore and local premises (5 Factories + 72 Showrooms and Services Centers) across Egypt.
• Managed the development of group’s IT & IS policies and procedures in addition to IT awareness and newsletters.
• Established regular health-checks and assessments to identify risks and match it with the internal/external auditor’s assessments to assure compliance with IT Security policies and procedures.
• Control and monitor IT investment and purchasing, manage negotiation ensuring secured contracts & SLA’s with major IT suppliers and solutions providers
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• Responsible on the management of all technology issues across the organization. This includes providing objective assessments of the company’s compliance governing the organization’s information technology systems and industry-specific objectives. After reviewing all process interfaces, placed into practice improvements to facilitate the IT management to Oriental Weavers users at the various locations.
• Restructured the scattered IT team from by locations and transformed the IT Organization Chart by function.
• Established an IT Infrastructure and Communication team to administer and ensure stability of the overall Network (LAN/WAN) operations.
• Set policies and procedures to ensure efficient operation of the company’s network, client servers, databases, monitoring and diagnosing network and Data Center hardware problems.
• Revived the strategically implementation of Microsoft Axapta ERP and started the negotiation of replacing it with SAP or Oracle ERP Application and to replace other in-house information systems that support organizational business functions, and to assure high availability.
• Joined ABC as MIS Director immediately after privatization 1997, established the MIS Department totally from scratch. Started by observing the new business owners requirements to utilize automation as a tool to transform, restructure and reengineer the old public sector business processes and workflow at the various departments by means of utilizing the state of the art technical solutions with international standards and integrated enterprise systems.
• Released a tender document and was totally responsible for the technical and financial proposals evaluations, negotiation and contracting issues with vendors of hardware, software applications and network telecommunications solutions in conjunction with the setup selection and hiring of the MIS Team.
• For over eight (8) years succeeded in setting-up a long and short term IT Strategies and Business plans to monitor and facilitate the IT infrastructure installations and implementation phases at the various expansions of ABC premises (7 Factories, 10 Main Distribution Centers, 55 main Warehouses, 35 Home Delivery outlets, NJ Chairman office and Fayrouz International HQ at Maadi, Egypt) for the LAN/WAN communication, Internet, Web, Firewall, AVAYA PBX and Voice Mail System, updated by VOIP CISCO Call Manager Solution between main premises, Unix Servers using web enabled solutions. Managed the outsourcing contracts with Service Level agreements with various business partners including complex terms and conditions for deliverables and payments for the installation and implementation of Oracle ERP covering Finance, Sales & Distribution, Supply Chain Management and Process Manufacturing in addition to other applications such as Personnel/Payroll, MAXIMO application for preventative maintenance.
• On the year 1998 developed and managed intensive training programs for ABC users on the MS-Office products. Started in house development project of automating the Van Sales System (in-house developed application) using Oracle Database (using Hand-Held units utilized by the truck drivers to register sales by outlet by rout). Project was successfully implemented in Great Cairo, Alex, Upper Egypt and Delta). The system was upgraded and integrated with Geographic Information System “GIS” (covering great Cairo & Alexandria) for total coverage to expand sales opportunities; the initial project aim was to identify the various outlets by route with accurate product sales analysis reports and monitor cash collections.
• On the year 2000 successfully introduced and established the in-house Home Delivery and Call Center services using Customer Relation Management “CRM” solutions and Point of Sales “P.O.S.”, operating in over 35 locations in Egypt.
• On the year 2001, established Helpdesk operation and call log to monitor productivity. Kept a close eye on technology updates and lead the IT team to promote IT services.
• Set a direct link with NJ Office, Fayrouz International and ABC Factories introducing Ext-to-Ext communication.
• Build up internal IT Staff technical/functional team and strengthen ABC key resources by means of technical and soft skills training to rollout Oracle ERP application
• Oversee and Audit the management of all data and information flows within the company to ensure that comprehensive and accurate manage¬ment information is available as required.
• Managed IT services to over 2800 of ABC users, headed various projects such as company Policies & Procedures according to Heineken standard Security System. Served as the process owner for all ongoing activities to provide appropriate access and protect the confidentiality and integrity of employee and business information in compliance with regulations, organization policy and common security standards.
• Arrange detailed blue print for ABC HQ move project from Giza to Obour City in addition to the overall Company Disaster Recovery and IT Business Continuity plan.
• Responsible for the management of the daily operation and the implementation of Oracle Financial Integrated system on AIX, IBM RISC/6000. Manage the implementation and the acceptance testing of Oracle Financial and various in-house developed applications for Rig warehouses Inventory System, Personnel and Payroll System with its integration with Oracle ERP. Was responsible for security review to assure data security restrictions of user’s information on the various applications, network telecommunication and, systems performance. Setup policies, procedures, priorities for backup, support services and maintenance.
• Effectively identified and ran through opportunities to provide technical solutions that satisfied the clients’ requirements with objectives to ensure continued success. Anticipate and analyzed business, technical trends, evaluated alternatives to determine the most creative solutions for present and future problems.
• Headed a team that studied the documentation files and procedures cycle for Trademark & Patent manual system of Abu Ghazaleh for Intellectual Property (AGIP) and established an automated system for electronic document management and archiving system.
• Actively participated in the establishment and development of IT solutions for professional foreign agencies such as UNDP & USAID. Duties included the preparation of feasibility studies, ROI studies (time plan/cost), technical analysis specifications, recommended applications, keeping up-to-date control and follow up to insure effective and efficient systems performance and services.
• Started as Senior System Analyst and promoted to Operation and Systems Manager. Managed the application and development team for implementation and integration of warehousing, marketing, payroll and FMS applications. Managed and designed methods of controlling data, functional, technical analysis and specifications of programming including extensive relationship with related integrated systems.
• As a Systems Operation Manager gained additional responsibilities for setting new systems installation, maintenance schedules at the various locations on addition to the daily operation of hardware, software and network communications using Wang VS/100 and VS/300.
• Established and set-up the Embassy main Computer Center, responsible for providing data and word processing services to all agencies supported by the American Embassy main Computer Center. Utilizing Wang VS/80 and VS/100 environment, controlling over 300 users. Developed control procedures to insure data security and restrictions of users information. Was responsible for the development, implementation and installation of local and Washington Head Office system applications. Daily activities included intensive planning, analyses and monitoring the daily activity utilization and performance.
• Attended different management courses in-house, UK, Washington D.C. and Paris. As well conducted several training programs for management and local staff at other American Embassies posts.
• Managed the Library of Congress development and implementation of application to control ordering, distributing, accounting and cataloging, to cover the needs and requirements of Cairo Office, and other posts to meet the standards of Library of Congress Head Office in Washington. Cataloging applications and report forms were established and designed to serve languages such as English, Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, Modern Turkish, Persian, Armenian and Russian alphabetic and diacritics characters. Contributed in arranging several conferences in Cairo, New Delhi and attended by the Library of Congress Head Office staff from Washington plus regional management staff.
• Full responsibility of setting-up the first Wang VS/80 installation and operation in Egypt. Responsible for systems development and programming in COBOL language for local systems. Analyzing resources, initiate programs, reports and Ad Hoc queries. Conducted training to USIAD staff/users on the developed systems.
• Instructor for Introduction to computer and programming, COBOL programming language, advanced COBOL programming and DOS/VS system functions.