KEVIN SMITH

Achievements

√	Helped to build the Compuware Professional Services from a £1m to a £20m division,
√	Professional Services was an amalgam of Vine Systems and the existing Compuware Consultancy group. I was able to build a common culture from two very distinct groups exceeding all retention targets over three years,
√	Project Managed the development of Professional Services first Intranet site, which has enabled the team to communicate more effectively, as well as provide an excellent web technology training ground,
√	Compuware had focused its training on its own products, restricting its ability to adapt to market changes. I directed the development of internal courses in non-Compuware technologies (e.g. Oracle, Unix, C, SQL, and Web Technologies) using consultant off account time as well as third party suppliers. This enabled Professional Services to win e-commerce consultancy contracts where Compuware did not have a competitive ‘products’ solution,
√	Compuware did not provide training in ‘professional consultancy skills’. Together with a third party supplier, I built a set of bespoke education modules used to help train the senior consultants to ‘sell’ the company’s services more effectively,
√	Designed and implemented an appraisal process and mentor system into Compuware, appropriate to technical consultants, where there was none,
√	Directed and helped to define several graduate technical training programmes, enabling Compuware to be able to place 50+ graduates on commercial assignments within 10 weeks of recruitment.

Feb 1996 to Mar 1997  - Vine Systems Ltd, Central London

Vine Systems, a Compuware business partner, was a rapidly growing, successful consultancy company specialising in UNIFACE software services.

Senior Technical Consultant

For the most part I worked (in a consultancy capacity) for an international parcel distribution firm on three main projects. I provided business analysis and design work on their billing systems, followed by advice on the technical issues involved in the role out of their strategic software program to Europe and Africa, followed by an engagement to audit their messaging standards (for software development). Between assignments, I was asked to take on the responsibilities of Vine Project Office Manager, when amongst other tasks, I carried out project audits and managed all unassigned consultants (typically 5 to 10 at a time). I also carried out account management and acted as a bid manager. A member of the Vine management team, I reported to the Managing Director.

 Achievements 

√	Developed and implemented project office processes to enable the management team to keep track of risks and opportunities,
√	Managed relationships with major clients that led to repeat technical consultancy business for self and team,
√	Designed an innovative technical solution that enabled a Client to maintain strategic control of its core applications, while allowing each country office that deployed the software to adapt the application for local conditions; thereby achieving ‘buy in’ from the countries and reduced support costs.
√	Directed the development of a formal graduate training program which enabled Vine to attract, train, and place junior consultants on projects more quickly, and successfully,
√	Developed bi-monthly technical training and team building days as a way of building a company identity. This is critical to growing a consultancy company.

Apr 1990 to Jan 1996 - Trilogy Computers Ltd, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Trilogy Computers are a medium sized software house specialising in providing solutions in back office systems for Publishing companies, together with water quality auditing systems and systems to assist in Manufacturing.

Software Development Manager (from Mar 1995)

Senior Analyst / Designer September 1994

Team Leader / Senior Analyst Programmer June 1992

Analyst / Programmer April 1990

I was responsible for all aspects of software production and control management for a 20-man year project to develop a state of the art fully configurable back office application (PUB2000) for publishing companies. This application was developed using UNIFACE and designed using SSADM. My development team consisted of seven developers. I reported to the Technical Director. 

Previous roles at Trilogy were as a Senior Analyst Designer (using SSADM for PUB2000) and as a Team Leader / Developer specialising primarily in back office publishing software, written in PICK / UNIVERSE / CUEBIC.

1988 to 1990 - Europower Hydraulics Ltd - Software Developer

1987 to 1988 - Croda Paints Ltd - Computer Operations Supervisor

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Business areas	Billing, publishing, financial ledgers, manufacturing, memberships, commissions and inventory management, public relations and retail.
Project skills	Structured design techniques, project management techniques, presentation skills, Development
Applications	Office, Image Editing, Video Editing
Databases / file systems	Access, Universe, C-ISAM, Informix, PICK, MySQL, SOLID
Languages	HTML, ASP, SQL, Javascript, Vbscript, PICK (Databasic, RPL, Proc), Cobol, Pascal
4GL & Web tools	Dreamweaver, Flash, Director, Photoshop, Illustrator, Actinic, Visio, UNIFACE, CUEBIC, Basic
Operating systems	Windows, UNIX, PICK, ULTIX

EDUCATION

Course	Establishment	Dates
BA (HONS) Special Politics	University of Hull	1979-1982
HNC Computer Studies	Humberside College	1987-1989

PERSONAL DETAILS

Date of Birth	4th August 1961
Nationality	British
Marital Status	Married, two children
Driving Licence	Full UK

PERSONAL INTERESTS

A family man, my children (Marianne aged 13and Alice aged 10) take up most of my spare time.  I enjoy sports, cinema, books, travel, food & wine.