Development in PHP - Still working with PHP 4 and haven't had much chance to look at PHP 5 yet. Using XML in a number of areas.

Writing - Process Mapping, Team Activities and Organisation articles - and documentation tasks.

2003

Since the beginning of June 2003 I have concentrated on web projects and teaching.

Alongside development projects, I'm now on a teacher training course (Post-16 Teaching Certificate, started in September 2003) My intention is to do more teaching and training than in the past, hence the move towards a better knowledge of how to do it effectively.

Although it seems that everyone and their dog are now offering web site creation services commercially, my interest centres on interactive sites and their integration with back-end applications and databases: Making sites that are functional and cost-effective rather than just sitting there and looking good.

Being free of a single large organisation has given me the freedom to choose; selecting development that interests me and getting much more experience of PHP applications and .NET.

I left Alcan at the end of May 2003.

Until then I had responsibility for managing and developing business information applications for Alcan Packaging in the UK and Ireland.

These applications included business reporting and document technology. Working with key members of the business and with technical innovators, this position required a good balance of technical knowledge and development skills with business knowledge and strategic awareness.

In January 2003 I became a member of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC).

From around the same time, at the start of 2003, I used Visual Studio .NET to develop applications using C# and, at the same time, was writing documentation for developers who use the .NET development environment.

I developed and maintained four web sites for Alcan - One embedded with Cognos IWR. Otherwise, web site content was mostly created out of ERP systems through FormScape. To the best of my knowledge these sites are still operational: IIS on Windows servers using ASP as the preferred server technology. I managed the original site design and realisation using Macromedia Dreamweaver MX.

During 2002 I was introduced to RedHat Linux, having installed and documented RedHat Linux 7 servers. This was a springboard to using open-source software for web sites. These now include some very cost-effective sites using MySQL and PHP with Apache web server.

Using MySQL and PHP has also shown up the benefits of sites that can be served unmodified from Apache on Linux as well as from IIS, on Windows servers.

Alcan Packaging's ERP platform is SAP R/3 on ORACLE with stock control and warehousing systems using ATMS, integrated to SAP.

My work for Alcan Packaging included development of both electronic and paper documents - from pallet labels and packing slips through to delivery notes and sales invoices - together with the deployment of innovative print, publishing and management technologies.

2001

FormScape has been used for the development of documents for paper, the workstation and the web, using Eyes and Hands for OCR of incoming documents.

I was trained in FormScape in early 2001, taking development responsibility for UK sites in February 2001. I managed all of Lawson Mardon's FormScape implementations from the summer of 2001, implementing the transition in document standards from algroup to Alcan format.

During the twelve months from September 2001, I worked with an Applications Manager to set up on-line training and help resources for SAP and ATMS Warehousing Systems using OnDemand from Global Knowledge. These help and training modules include how-to lessons, online help and interactive assistance in completing specific tasks, allowing users to see it, try it, do it.

In October 2001, following training and workshop sessions, I received accreditation from DACG in authoring user help and training material using OnDemand.

In March 2001 my article Displaying Status Messages from CognosScript appeared in SupportLink Magazine. An introductory item, Creating XML documents from MV data appeared in the summer issue of MultiValue News.

During 2001 I registered the domain chrispearson.org and started posting to http://www.chrispearson.org, to collect and present ideas, techniques and examples and to share some experiences of using IT to improve business. I started out using FrontPage 98 and have since migrated through Dreamweaver 4 to Dreamweaver MX, which I also use professionally.

2000

I have designed and developed systems using Cognos BI products integrating ORACLE and PICK/Universe data sources into a single, web-based business information resource, serving eleven business areas on seven sites and field sales personnel.

I started using Cognos products in late 1999 and achieved Cognos Certified Professional status for Release 5 in March 2000.

I began using Adobe Acrobat to distill documents to PDF, a process that has become a mainstay of my personal strategy for document distribution across all the different platforms available. Starting with Acrobat 4 and later upgrading to release 5.

In the summer of 2000 MultiValue News carried my article Sending email from a MV application, discussing how to integrate PICK-like data sources with Microsoft Excel and Outlook, providing automated email functionality.

1999

Between May 1996 and June 1999 I worked as Business Analyst on a major business change project known as Project Pegasus, reviewing business processes, defining requirements and evaluating systems.

As a member of the BPR core team on Project Pegasus, I edited and published the change project's newspaper, On the Wing. After creating print-ready, postscript documents using Microsoft Publisher 98, I worked with a digital print shop to produce the hard copy. A version of the paper was also posted to an intranet site, managed using FrontPage 98.

I created presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint and was trained in using Visio for realising diagrams and organisational charts. I started using Visio Version 4 (from Visio International) and have stayed with the software through its assimilation into Microsoft's Office suite, now using Visio 2000.

As part of the business process redesign, I took responsibility for forecasting, sales order and master planning processes. I facilitated the Sales and Operations Planning process teams. I researched and drafted the Sales and Operations Planning process manuals, developed the training courses for sales personnel and wrote the users' manual for the Forecasting Workbench used by sales reps. Forecasting used Mercia Lincs software (Mercia Software is now part of Finmatica)

On the technical side I developed interfaces between forecasting workbench systems, SAP R/3 and disparate legacy systems.

I created then contributed to the IPS web site, providing assistance and training for the ex-colleagues who had formed Integrated Process Solutions at the end of 1998. I handed the site over to be managed by the company, in-house during 2000.

1996

Before May 1996, as Systems Manager with LMG, I had operational and development responsibility for Lawson Mardon's York production plant and for Lawson Mardon Pre-Press Ltd., also in York. I managed and participated in small teams brought together to develop and deliver specific business solutions.

I was responsible for training users in Microsoft Office products - The company migrated from WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 to Microsoft Word and Excel in 1993. This experience provided me with an in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office applications under Windows 3.x, a knowledge which I have continued and extended through 9x releases to Office 2000, taking in Windows 95, 98, NT and 2000.

1992

Initially a manufacturing systems consultant in the PICK market during 1991, I later worked with NHS Executive on building schemes management systems - what became the Building Schemes Costing, Estimating and Management Enquiry System: Building SCEMES. The package was developed in SB+ for a Pick platform. Most of those we sold were on R83 Pick, between two and eight users.

As well as working on developing Datamore's Building SCEMES package, I created training material for users and delivered courses to Northwest Regional Health Authority and to district health authority personnel in Stockport, Blackburn, Preston and Bolton.

I wrote the user and implementation guides shipped with the application. I also wrote the system documentation for supporting the package when the product was sold on to Apex Systems in early 1992. I continued to deliver occasional training courses under the Apex banner until 1993.

1991 

Working as a Freelance Systems Developer, contracts with three manufacturing companies - Royal Ordnance Factory at Chorley, Lawson Mardon Group at several locations and Brett Martin - combining systems specification and design with development in RPL and DataBASIC, training and rollout.

I worked on sales, production and financial systems and integrating them with desktop applications.

Working for McDonnell Douglas I developed operating system features for Reality: Coding in assembler, PROC, RPL and DataBASIC.

I benefited from attending a number of McDonnell Douglas's public courses.

Each project began with a development phase followed by producing a package consisting deployment media, technical specification and deployment documentation, together with a user guide.

I worked in a software house, developing and implementing medical laboratory systems, including DataPath. I supported 4 sites, North London and West Yorkshire in the UK, St Hellier in Jersey and, working with Oman Computer Services, Muscat in Oman.

I worked with training and documentation specialists on user documentation for DataPath, taking the photographs - including screen shots from green-screen terminals - as well as contributing to the text.

I spent a short period as as freelance analyst/programmer, designing and writing software to clients' requirements using Forth and assembler on Motorola hardware and, on Apple II, BASIC.

1983

During 1983 I had an article explaining the science behind allergy screening published in Family magazine. The following January a second piece appeared on the treatment of common allergies.

In September 1982 I moved from the NHS into the private health sector, working for AMI (UK). I set up the nuclear assay laboratory at the Alexandra Hospital and, using Phadebas radio-assay products, began allergy screening for AMI.

Having done increasingly more programming during the couple of years before leaving the NHS I began some serious software development for the pathology department at the Alexandra Hospital.

I ran some introductory courses for staff at the Alexandra, called Under the bonnet of your computer, which ran on into the new year as the first IBM PCs were brought in at the beginning of 1983.

Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer

HNC Medical Laboratory Sciences: Clinical Chemistry