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 901 253-3540

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

• 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. I 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
My teacher exiled to the hall, Day 1 of class, 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. And yes, there were some giggles from my fellow classmates.
The room was quiet when I completed the work early and achieved all stated
requirements. She did criticize me for writing program first. I could design
and code faster than flowcharting; both were flawless. A number of lessons
were learned by all in the room that day. My teacher, Mrs. Endicott, and I
became good friends at school and again later, when I realized I was working in
college and later professionally, with her husband. It is a small world.
Proven Achievement in High School

• Offered Proctor Teaching Position
Associate Dean for Electrical Engineering offered me the above job based on
input from the Graduate Students in that position. They thought I dropped
the class several times. I completed all “in classroom” work in six 90 minute
sessions including the exams. While flattered by the offer, I had to decline this
prestigious job in the College of Engineering as I was a Freshman, not a Grad.
• 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 respect between myself and them during this period.
Proven Achievement in College

• Offered Lead Student Assistant Position at University Computing Center
Total ownership of the organization from hiring, scheduling, training, et. al.
Now had an office in the Computing Center along with 24 hour full access.
For an IT Geek, it’s comparable to getting the keys to your favorite store, 24x7.
• 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 member 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 … something that was not expected by anyone. Our
Senior Professor indicated I was the closest thing to a “Natural” he had sever
seen. It’s always exciting when an “underdog” exceeds the wildest expectations.
Proven Achievement in College

Proven Achievement
• 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 and shared
a 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 with a new software product, some of the steps were not “spot on” accurate.
In time, step-by-step, every step was validated in the manual through actual
deployment efforts to help those who are installing software for the first time ever!

• Created “Software Showcase Seminar” for existing Customers
Overview of new products, benefits and demonstrations.
Program expense: $800 for catered breakfast & lunch.
Resulting Orders: $3,500,000 in one day without sales involvement.
• 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 did not provide dump busting tool to resolve problems.
Analyzed over 60 aborted programs to determine 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.
The company sponsored an Elementary School; the paper is good, clean, sturdy.
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 persuaded to join me in talking to a systems architect.
It was a known defect with the CPU and OS … change the math and bingo!
• 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 transactions to retrieve/update/print reports.
Customer was able to keep ahead of order demands.
• Customer wants their staff to handle small network changes but lack skills
Advised IT Director on new skills required for his team to address their need.
Created focused manual explaining steps and prerequisites for steps.
Created training exercises using non-production communications cards/lines.
Created Final Exam to implement live device from Communications Room to Device.
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 operations was crashing idle system for lack of training.
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 and made needed data changes.
In 2 weeks, all code was retrofitted making it global ready for logistics.
Proven Achievement

• Business buys package to handle special functionality for web application
In curiosity, I read the product literature and it is not good news.
Package acquired will not work in a real-time environment like the web.
Fortunately vendor has package that will work and is open to a 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.
Solution create and Accepted 2 weeks ahead of schedule for deployment.
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 is 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.
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

Let’s talk about opportunities
that may exist for the three of us.
Proven Achievement

Proven Achievement

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