Proven achievement

Proven Achievement
Multiple Industries s Multiple Countries s Multiple Domains
Seeing Opportunities Others Don’t
Michael Zurkammer IT Sr. Project Manager: Software &/or Infrastructure Memphis, TN 901 254-3540

Proven Achievement
Banking, Community
Banking, Internet Only
Banking, Regional
Banking, S&L
County, Assessor
County, Clerk
County, Tax
Distribution
Education, K-12
Education, Higher
Gaming
Geophysical Processing
Government, Foreign
Government, Domestic
Government, State
Hospitality
Law Enforcement, PD
Law Enforcement, SO
Logistics
Hospital
Manufacturing, Apparel
Manufacturing, Electronics
Manufacturing, Oil & Gas
Manufacturing, Fabrics
Manufacturing, Oil Field
Manufacturing, Power
Manufacturing, Vehicles
Mass Transit
Medical Equipment
Non-Profits/Not For Profit
Repair, Aircraft
Retail
Utilities

Proven Achievement
India
Japan
Mexico
Norway
Singapore
Sweden
Switzerland
UK
USA
Australia
Belgium
Canada
China
Egypt
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Ireland

Proven Achievement
Regional Law Enforcement
Time Reporting Package
Warehouse Inventory System
Student Tracking & Financial Aid
Utility Billing, Electric
Utility Billing, Water
Vehicle Scheduling
Web based Customer Ordering
Web based Information site
Others
Bus & Vehicle Fuel System
Child Abuse
City Park Sports Scheduling
Dump Analysis Processor
Custom Solutions
Database Design Class
Election Reporting System
Employee On-line Training
Expansion Planning
False Alarm Billing System
Financial Information Entry
Multi-national Projects
Library Management System
Law Enforcement Support
Manufacturing Materials System
Migrations/Portations/Rewrites
Network Design/Setup Class
New Ideas Class
Order Tracking System

Proven Achievement
Banking, Community
Banking, Internet Only
Banking, Regional
Banking, S&L
County, Assessor
County, Clerk
County, Tax
Distribution
Education, K-12
Education, Higher
Gaming
Geophysical Processing
Government, Foreign
Government, Domestic
Government, Local
Government, State
Hospitality
Law Enforcement, PD
Law Enforcement, SO
Logistics
Hospital
Manufacturing, Apparel
Manufacturing, Electronics
Manufacturing, Oil & Gas
Manufacturing, Fabrics
Manufacturing, Oil Field
Manufacturing, Power
Manufacturing, Vehicles
Mass Transit
Medical Equipment
Repair, Aircraft
Retail
Utilities

• Organization Size
Provided services for small rural community banks to globally recognized
household names to the Fortune 25 to industry, state/local government,
and a foreign government.
• Seeing and Acting on Opportunities
Achieved things that should not be possible and broke the “unbreakable”.
Improve processes that impede productivity, reduce costs and sometimes
benefit productivity, redesign process or just get rid of obsolete
requirements. Bring creativity to build more participation and involvement. I
Enhanced one PMO process and received a standing ovation after my
presentation from all team members.
Proven Achievement Adding Value

• Project Management
Software Applications and Infrastructure across 17 industries; completed on
time and within budget for new, upgrades or relocations. Applications in
multiple programming languages, different databases, interfacing to existing
custom or commercial application, different environments (batch, real-time,
Internet/Web), SDLC, Waterfall and starting Agile. With over 15 years’ PM
experience I have delivered projects successfully per final Scope. Projects
conducted in 17 different countries. Project teams included internal
domestic and international employees; partners on- and off-shore,
contractors on- and off-shore, plus vendors on- and off-shore.

• Developing People
Created classes for internal groups and customer engagements in different
areas of technology and applications including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint,
Visio and Word because people need these skills yet training is often
unavailable. We held class during lunch, after hours or week-ends.
Mentoring is often involved helping people think through unusual
problems or improving skills. This includes private praise, public rewards
and/or public recognitions. Energized people who are not afraid to help
others or ask questions are unstoppable positive champions … every
company needs more of these people.

• Expanding Opportunities
Good people are sometimes so focused, incremental benefits are
overlooked. Focus is good, tunnel vision is not. In former roles, I have
worked every position in software development including Stakeholder. I can
see mistakes, not just focused on quick incremental benefits but what also
may be possible at no additional cost. The Business can always say NO. But
if they don’t know the possibilities and potentials, it is NO by DEFAULT. IT
should help Business see the potential incremental benefits to unleash
greater Project ROI. It is owed to the employees, to the investors, and most
of all to who buy and use our goods and services.

• Self-taught Programmer
Studied a BASIC Programming Manual over Christmas Holidays. The first
week back to school, I was writing programs. Week 2, I was debugging code
for others. Found some self-paced FORTRAN manuals and dove into them.
• Invited to Programming Competition in High School
Houston, TX area programming contest with Region IV ESC. Good experience
and a worthy challenge but would have loved to have brought back a trophy
for our High School. The right time and place had not come yet, but it would.
Proven Achievement in High School

• First Programming Class
Our teacher exiled me to the hall, Day 1, for not paying attention. She brought
me into the class for the last few minutes of class, tasking me to write a
specific flowchart and program on the board in front of the class in 5 minutes.
The room was quiet when I completed the work early and achieved all stated
requirements. She did criticize me for writing the program first. I could design
and code this simple assignment faster than flowcharting; both were correct.
A number of “Lessons” were learned by all in the room that day. My teacher
and I became good friends at school and later when worked with her husband.
Proven Achievement in High School

• Offered College Proctor Teaching Position
Associate Dean for Electrical Engineering offered me the above job based on
input from the Graduate Students in that position. I infrequently attended
this class yet I set a record finishing all work in six 90 minute sessions including
the exams with no errors. While flattered by the offer, I had to decline this
prestigious job in the College of Engineering; I was a Freshman not a Graduate.
• Offered Student Assistant Position, User Services, University Computing Center
A group was formed to off-load the Staff in helping Students, Staff and Facility. I
gained access to the entire Computing Center and learned Systems Operations
at night. An interesting experience having professors asking for my help.
Certainly built greater respect for each other during these efforts.
Proven Achievement in College

• Stump the Vendor
Wrote my first program in a new language programming class; code was data
insensitive yet output always changed. My professor said the code was good.
The Computing Center said the code was good. The vendor sent my code and
output to corporate for analysis. Three months later, after the course had
completed, they had a solution: REWRITE THE 8 LINE PROGRAM.
• New Mainframe Exploration reveals Bad Operating System Design
Started learning process with new machine; considered design and architecture.
Saw you could assign devices … to a timesharing terminal. I could assign
mainframe tape drives, printers and card devices for my exclusive use from a
remote timesharing terminal which could shut the mainframe down. Not good.

• Applications Development for Room & Board
Director of Housing approved free Room & Board if I developed software I
suggested. Did it without using DBMS yet knew something was lacking
to support multiple records for a logical grouping with unlimited groupings in
the total data set. The programming language could not support this. When
learning hierarchical databases in my new job, this capability was crystal clear.
Lack of this inhibited creating a full suite of solutions in an untapped market.
I was able to explain to our class a real-world example of an abstract concept in
visualizing a business need multiple buildings, multiple floors per building,
multiple rooms per floor, one to five in a room or suite with unique info for each.
Sets within sets within sets with multiple detailed records at the lowest level.

• Offered Lead Student Assistant Position at University Computing Center
Total accountability for the team from hiring, scheduling, training, et. al.
plus had an office in the Computing Center along with 24 hour full access.
For an IT Geek, it’s similar to 24x7 unrestricted access to a favorite place.
• Invited to ACM Regional Programming Competition by Computer Science Dept
The Chairman made me an offer: I and another undergrad from Math would
complete against mostly 4 person graduate teams at Texas A&M including three
teams from UH. Our van ride home was very quiet as our undergrad team took
the 3rd Place Trophy and visibly shook up other competing teams. Our Senior
Professor indicated I was the closest thing to a “Natural” he had sever seen. It’s
always exciting when any “underdog” exceeds the wildest expectations of others.

• 6 Month Intensive Training: Transaction Processing & Databases
Initial Corporate Intensive Program for New Hire Training.
Ranked #1 in the Class consisting of selected members from multiple
countries. I politely and privately corrected instructors for first 6 weeks.
• New Mainframe Product Readiness Test & Document Integrity Review Program
Our missions was simple: 160 people trying to break new mainframe in 9 months.
I was the only person out of 160 people over 9 months to break the new mainframe.
The primary mission: try to break the new mainframe and I did it in a simple test:
1 Minute to design test, 2 minutes to test, 10,000+ minutes to get it running again.

Proven Achievement
• Created Presentation on new Computer and new Company Assets
I was fortunate to have built a relationship with the HR Director, shared a new
pending assignment, and asked if copies of cells he showed were available.
Timing is everything, and his need for the material had ended. I become
the benefactor of the material for use back home before our customers.
• New Mainframe Document Integrity Review Program
Rewrote many sections of new Major Software product with Tech Writer
As a new software product, some of the steps were not “spot on” accurate. Doing a
validation step-by-step of all items shown, defects and confusion was removed
making “first time” installers delighted to go home on-time as hoped that day.

• Created “Software Showcase Seminar” for existing Customers
My initiative: Few saw it being worth while but given OK to spend money.
Provided overview of new products, benefits and demonstrations.
Program expense: $800 for catered breakfast & lunch.
Resulting Orders: $3,500,000 in one day.
• Directed to “go fix it” – 7 to 9 man month project burned 57 and growing
Services margin negative, litigation was filed, sales would not talk to customer.
Week 1: Took team out to eat, got input to what happened and was happening.
Week 2: Discussed solutions and impacts; offer accepted, did the work, litigation ends.
Cost for Resolution: $1,100 for food, my 204 hours over 2 weeks to finish the project.
Painful effort, but everyone when on to better things and the losses came to an end.
Proven Achievement

• New Screen Management Product Released
Product lacked an “abort dump buster” utility to determine failure.
My initiative: Analyze 60+ aborted programs to learn dump layout.
Wrote program to bust dump and provide meaningful guidance.
Became part of standard product offering enhancing the software.
• 32 Cases of Custom Paper is deemed Defective, can’t be used
Manufacturer shows he was given bad specifications; we owed for the paper.
Business directs the cases of paper go be trashed; unfit for intended use.
My initiative: Send the paper to our company’s sponsored Elementary School.
8,000 sheets of 4’ x 1’ “coloring sheets” donated to the School … they loved the gift.
Proven Achievement

• Calculation of Cost per Unit is intermittently incorrect
Programmer spends hours reviewing code for logic defect or other factors.
Changes code, still fails. Changes logic structure, still fails. Data is correct.
After 2 hours I enlisted a systems architect to help. It was a known defect
between the CPU and OS. I changed the math; problem gone in 5 minutes!
• Customer complains systems crashing too often
No other reports in area of Customers reporting crashes on this new platform.
Reviewed operations logs, reviewed operations procedures, worked 1st/2nd shifts.
Environmental indicators (Power, Cooling, Air, Flow, etc.) all report solid as expected.
Week-end operations was crashing idle system for lack of proper process. Quick fix!
Proven Achievement

• Customer’s Batch System needed Real-time Entry/Inquiry
Oil equipment company needed real-time to handle growing orders.
Discussed database design with batch solution database team. Developed
real-time solution to retrieve/update/print reports. Customer could now
keep ahead of order demands thus increasing earnings and profits!
• Customer wants their staff to handle small network changes but lacks skills
Advised IT Director of needed new skills for his team to address their need.
I created focused manual explaining steps ahd their prerequisites. Created training
exercises using non-production communications cards/lines. Wrote Final Exam to
implement live device from Communications Room to Device. One delighted team!
Proven Achievement

• Customer’s employees are deathly afraid of computers and potential for damage.
Fear of damaging the unit or mass corruption of data is a real fear to them.
I hold a Kick-off meeting in the company Auditorium to talk technology.
Employees told with a little care the computers and data will be good.
Free lunch anywhere to first person with computer failure not their fault.
• Customer complains systems crashing too often
No other reports in area of problems reporting crashes on this new platform.
Reviewed operations logs, reviewed operations procedures, worked 1st/2nd shifts.
Environmental indicators (Power, Cooling, Air, Flow, etc.) all good. Week-end
operators was crashing system for lack of proper training. A 23 minute quick fix.
Proven Achievement

• Customer’s CPU Complex crashes daily in AM and PM
Customer indicates nothing special going on, it just crashes on it own.
Customer reports power conditioning ordered for the data center.
I have temporary power monitoring put on the CPU, disk, tapes, printers.
Conditioning not there; as Crain across street powers up or down, CPU dies.
• Business Requirement overlooked … global impact for customer
Problem impacts new and existing applications creating big mess to resolve.
Provided new functional requirements plus additional code for software. Replaced
code segments with new code, made needed data changes. In 2 weeks, all code was
retrofitted making it global ready for logistics. Major problem, clean fast resolution.
Proven Achievement

• Business buys package to handle special functionality for web application
In curiosity, I read the product literature … not good news for the Business.
Package acquired will not work in a real-time environment like the web.
I see vendor has package that will work and is open to a zero dollar swap.
The Business agrees to let IT review IT purchases before they are made.
• Customer wanted to expand Application functionality but lacked the skills
Developed Requirements Document and Scope for Agreement and Acceptance.
Walked team of developers through the design and changes. Became a learning
opportunity using techniques they had not seen before. Solution create and
accepted 2 weeks ahead of schedule for deployment. Team stronger; issue closed.
Proven Achievement

• Testing on multiple automated testing platforms creates tracking challenge
Testing systems unable to cross match results from different platforms.
Developed Excel based tool to collect formatted data from each location.
Information then broken out by location, date, run, test cases, result.
Spreadsheet provides totals, reports any deviations between systems.
• One of two critical parts for customer’s system arrived
Shipping company reported second item on Van returning to airport with the item.
Challenged legitimacy of the story, requesting escalation of the matter. Same story
reported back from escalation; requested to speak with Director. Received report
second part of shipment never put on the outbound aircraft. Ownership established.
Proven Achievement

• Sales Representative on 5 months disability; sales quota at risk
Sales generates Revenue; I am to establish/maintain customer’s confidence.
Worked accounts projected to sign contracts during the 5 month period.
Continued to work “outliers”, no “deal drop outs” and landed new accounts.
Set new Territory Q1 record of $1.6 Million; Q2 positioned to exceed goals.
• Management indicated my project would fail; goals could not be achieved
Technically, the project was possible but management remarks demoralized team.
Set team theme/vision to “prove we’re right” to boost team moral and focus.
Told to suspend to renegotiate rates; lost $300,000 in operation savings to save $75,000.
Project delivered early; exceeded accuracy targets; allowed more product shown.
Proven Achievement

• Rush infrastructure install delayed due to elevator smaller than reported
One key cabinet would not fit in or under the elevator to reach the 6th floor.
Customer acknowledge they would pay any extra costs. Called people they
used during construction. Ordered a crane, some riggers and removal of a
window. Not much spare room but it was delivered; not even a scratch.
• Project Changes not communicated to Project Manager
Business Owner not communicating to their team or project team on changes.
Senior Management unwilling to discuss the impacts or the problem.
Strike close relationship with key people who were trusted by Business Owner.
Project achieved deliver date through extraordinaty effort by Project Team and others.
Proven Achievement

• Major Software Vendor ports product to our mainframe and failed badly
Customer needed application to work ASAP necessitating rework of bad code.
Obtain agreement for delay on work already underway to achieve this rework.
Focused attack on serious/fatal compile errors assuming logic was solid.
After two long weeks, new code passed validation and installation tests.
• New High Value Customer Product launched without literature or training
Reverted to “picking brains” to gathering needed information for this product
to present plans and capabilities of the product for customer installation and setup.
Created Planning Guide and Limitations Document for Customer planning and insights.
Brought value to the Customer in providing what had not been created before.
Proven Achievement

• Customer terminates their custom project; expects others to achieve deadline
Gathered their original design documents; brought in new team of experts.
Identified design issues in database, bad coding standards, no real documents.
Crash program to rewrite core code, fix new code for optimal performance.
Turned over optimized working code one day before deadline.
• Law Enforcement billing for False Alarms died; expected others to resurrect it
Code would not compile. Design was static; would not survive over time.
Restructured design, increased reporting and functionality, made rates date table driven.
Worked with City Legal, Attorney’s Office, Chief’s staff, City Revenue Department.
All aspects exceeded original requirements and gave insights never available before.
Proven Achievement

• PM Reporting Documentation difficult for PMs and others who use/review
Saw an opportunity: worked off-hours reworking forms for ease and readability.
Up to 20% more usable space, could be created in Word, and easier to read.
Presented revisions before all PM/SPM meeting; given a standing ovation.
My manager indicated he had never seen a peer standing ovation before.
• CIO unhappy over rising cost of paper consumption; tasked my manager
My cost smart solution fixed core complaint plus three others at little total cost.
Issue laptops to employees could now work at night or when could not come in to work.
Laptops eliminated need to print many documents for meetings; wireless net already up.
Reduced paper costs, productivity increased, moral improved, quality increased.
Proven Achievement

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