David T. Ayers

Royal Oak, Michigan 48067  248-547-1418

***    RETIRED - for reference only    ***


Previous OBJECTIVE:
Mentor, design and/or build effective software products and user interfaces with WebFocus Maintain.

HIGHLIGHTS:
My consulting and development work is driven by business value, usability and maintainability with a specialization in user interface and software design. I also have experience in training, project management, supervision, and technical support.
  • 10 years WebFocus Maintain web and application server experience.
  • 20 years User Interface design study and implementation.
  • 20 years application system design, construction, release, maintenance, and support in various 4GL languages.
  • 4 years hardware/software administration for a 500+ MIPS engineering data center.
  • 8 years Field Service Engineering in the IBM compatible mainframe and peripheral industry.
  •  
LANGUAGES: 
HTML, CSS, Javascript
IBI: Focus, WebFocus, Maintain, Cactus, ReportCaster, EIS
Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0, VBA, and LotusScript
Various 4GL and scripting languages

SOFTWARE:
Operating Systems: DOS 3->5, Windows 3.1 -> 7, NT4 and Win2K Server, Mac Systems 5 ->10.4, MVS/TSO, VM/CMS, and a little AIX
Databases: Focus, MS Access, dbase IV, some SQL
Applications: MS Word, EXCEL, Visio, and FrontPage. various program editors, graphics programs, and communications programs

BUSINESS APPLICATIONS: 
Accounting - general ledger and wire transfer
Automotive part number management
Insurance - claims processing, premium pricing, loss/salvage/subrogation/ reporting
Electrical distribution control equipment configuration
Home construction sales
Market research - vehicle quality, employee satisfaction
Managed health care decision support
Mental health care delivery tracking
Purchasing and equipment inventory
Retail sales - oriental rugs, crafts and hobbies
Social services delivery tracking
Steel production sales support - stock slabs

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
 

Consultant

Resilient Business Solutions, Atlanta, GA 2007 to 2010
Clients:  City of Philadelphia:  Dept, of Mental Health, and others
WebFocus Maintain application development, maintain programmer mentoring,  migration/upgrade analysis, planning, and project management. Mostly done remotely via phone and Internet.

  • Developed web site and GUI standards
  • Maintain application development, training and mentoring.
  • Implementing 'Best Practices' in a WebFocus shop.
  • Maintain/WebFocus application analysis and migration planning
  • Planning and project management of application suite migration from WF 5.3 on AIX to WF 7.6 on Windows

Consultant Advanced Consulting Services, Inc., Waterford, Michigan 2001 to 2006
Clients:  Amerisure, Farm Bureau, Pulte Homes, and others
Focus application analysis and migration/upgrade planning, WebFocus/DHTML reporting interface development, WebFocus installation and training, Web site development, DOS application program support.
  • WebFocus installation, administration, development, and training - up to version 5.2
  • Creating Statement of Work documents for various projects.
  • Focus application analysis and WebFocus migration estimation
  • Web site design, construction, content creation and formatting.
  • dbase IV sales management application program support .

Consultant BEST Solutions Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan 1997 - 2001
Clients: Detroit Edison, Mazda Motors, and others
Responsible for the design, programming, testing, and documentation of various Cactus/WebFocus client-server systems, implementing both PC client and web browser access. 
  • Developed various PC products with Focus for Windows, Lotus Freelance and LotusScript. 
  • Developed a WebFocus class.
  • Installed and administered Cactus and WebFocus servers on NT 4/IIS systems.
  • Year 2000 conversion of Focus systems on MVS and VM. 

Consultant Information Builders Inc., Troy, Michigan 1996 - 1997
Client: Henry Ford Health Systems
Responsible for the design, programming, testing, and documentation of Focus server programs and Visual Basic client programs for delivery of managed care information.
  • Defined project standards, an API for the client-server interface, and partitioning of the application components. 
  • Assisted in the analysis and design of the overall client-server system and data warehouse.
  • Developed VB classes and objects and graphical elements for the client interface.
  • Integrated and extended a Focus/EIS client program. 

Programmer/Analyst DPM Consulting Services, Troy, Michigan 1995 - 1996
Client: Great Lakes Div., National Steel Corp.
Responsible for the analysis, design, programming, implementation, and documentation of a Stock Slab Sales system. Worked with Information Systems, Sales Office, Production Planning, and Quality Assurance departments to accomplish project goals.
  • Developed algorithms to calculate formable dimensions and product types from steel chemistry data.
  • Developed an easy to use and learn user interface.
  • Documented complete design, maintenance, and operational specifications.
  • Improved sales data with comprehensive management reporting.
  • Introduced several business process improvements to reduce user workload.

Product Developer Decision Consultants, Southfield, Michigan 1992 - 1995
Client: Ford - Marketing Systems
Responsible for producing the quarterly releases of Lucid, a multi-divisional client-server software product, for user-friendly access to vehicle quality data. This involved analysis, redesign, improvements to functionality, efficiency and user-friendliness, as well as SAS to Focus data transfer., beta test cycles, maintenance, documentation, metrics, and end user product support.
  • Handled all program, data, testing, and packaging requirements for a quarterly product release.
  • Developed a Windows version of the DOS/Focus Lucid product.
  • Performed installation, configuration, and conversions of PC–Mainframe communications software.
  • Led business rules work group and contributed to the design of the replacement system.
  • Evaluated software products for development and product support.
  • Contributed to Ford's "Focus - Code Quality & Standards" as part of a language standards committee.

Programmer/Analyst DP Management, Detroit, Michigan 1990 - 1992
Client: Ford Credit - Insurance Operations
Responsible for the analysis, design, programming, documentation, and maintenance of an on-line Claim Tracking System. The FACTS system handled over 100,000 claims per year with a check request interface to a corporate batch system, a data feed from an outsourced Claim Processing system, and management reporting, while conforming to all applicable financial controls.
  • Other projects included Salvage and Subrogation tracking/reporting and Agent inquiry systems.
  • Worked with all levels of Claim Center management and FMCC Systems Office personnel.
  • Consolidated and transferred PC spreadsheet data to mainframe FOCUS databases.
  • Set up a standardized Insurance Dept. FOCUS environment (DSN's, RACF, Menu's, Etc.).

Previous work experience available upon request                                      


EDUCATION & TRAINING:
Best Solutions:                               Business Objects, IBI Worldmart
Microsoft (certified):                      Programming with Visual Basic 4.0, Access 95 
IBI:                                               WebFocus, Cactus, EDA, Focus/Windows, Focus EIS, GUI Guidelines
Ford:                                             Systems Life Cycle, SAS introduction, WordPerfect 4.2
EDS:                                             FOCUS, Basic Leadership, Project Management, IBM INFO/SYS
Amdahl:                                         470 Mainframe Theory and Maintenance
Comma Corp.:                               IBM 3135, 3155 Mainframes
CDC:                                            Disk, Tape, Printer, and Memory Systems Theory and Maintenance
Control Data Institute:                    Computer Technology
Army Missile School:                     Land Combat Support System, Methods of Instruction
Lawrence Institute of Technology:  Mechanical Engineering (2 years)

Updated:  1/04/2011