John Mullinax Consulting

General

Talents are: Creative Solutions, Problem Solving, People Skills, Communications - written and oral, Presentations - variety of media and audiences, Analysis and Conclusions, Judgment, and Decisions.

Business

I posses a thorough knowledge of business practices in general and have extensive experience in the systems aspects of general ledger, mortgage application processing, corporate shareholder accounting, electronic funds transfer, wire transfer, receivables and payables, and work flow related issues for all the foregoing. I am very sensitive to the needs of users including reliability, accuracy, ease of use, and flexibility to accommodate change.

Information Systems

My hallmark has always been design considerations that lead to durable and highly functional systems. I have been the primary architect for some of the most widely used accounting systems over the last three decades. These include General Ledger (MSA GL) while at Management Science of America (MSA), Corporate Shareholder Accounting (CSS+), Electronic Funds Transfer (PEP+), Mortgage Origination (OMNI and TMO), Secondary Market(TSM), and Wire Transfer (WireNext) while at Servantis Systems, Inc. (SSI).

Roles

Assignments on these products have ranged from development manager, product manager, analyst, programmer, technical sales support, field installation, and customer support. These positions have afforded me considerable exposure to all aspects of a product's life cycle. Through the years I have gained clear insight to all of the development and support processes. That has resulted in the introduction of procedures and techniques that have led to improved delivery times and reduced maintenance and support costs.

Specific Technology Skills

LAN Client Server application and Mainframe application connectivity utilizing AttachMate's QuickApp product from SQLWindows applications and recent training on IBM's strategic connectivity product MQSeries. My IBM Certification on this product is in progress.

Client Server, 4GL building tools including SQLWindows, PowerBuilder, Microsoft Access, and Lotus Notes. I have been involved in SQL relational data base design using the ERWIN SQL database design tool, have specific experience with the SQLBase engine and know through planning for multiple data base engine support many aspects of SQL Server, SyBase, and DB2.

Languages

QuickApp middleware, IBM MQSeries middleware, SQlWindows SAL scripting (object oriented), PowerBuilder scripting prior to their introduction of OOP capability, Access macros and Basic, Lotus Notes scripting, COBOL, CICS, IMS, mainframe VSE and MVS operating systems along with attendant JCL, CMS, VSAM.

PC/LAN

My experience has been on Intel machines using DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT where I have installed and upgraded all. I am proficient in the use of many Word Processors, Spread Sheet programs, Presentation programs, Multi-Media programs, InterNet browsers, HTML scripting and Fax software. I have installed sound boards, memory, CD ROM readers, and disk upgrades in most of these environments. I have used IBM's LanServer and Novell’s NetWare versions 3.x. Although I have not installed or maintained network operating systems, I am familiar with the client side connectivity issues.

1996 - 1996 Private Consulting

Developed a middleware interface for a client server prison medical system to enable inital paitient demographic data loading from a UNISYS mainframe on-line application and to update certain mainframe data resulting from the paitent encounter. Existing mainframe screens were used and no mainframe code changes were required.

In conjunction, substantial enhancements were made to a client server pharmacy application tying it into the medical system. These included data conversions from an older pharmacy application with attendant data loads to the medical system, an encrypting facility, reports, screen forms and application code, and implementation of these enhancements at the prison sites.

The client server applications were written in Centura's SQLWindows and the middleware used was Attachmate's QuickApp.

1994 - 1995 Servantis Systems, Inc.

Principal Technology Advisor for development of the WireNext wire transfer product, a Client Server architecture replacement and enhancement of the existing character based product. Wire transfer applications are used by banks to send and receive money and security transfers on behalf of their customers or affiliate banks.

Researched and recommended a suitable development tool. Although having had some exposure to Microsoft's Visual Basic and Access, the evaluation focused on PowerSoft's PowerBuilder and Centura's (formerly Gupta) SQLWindows tool set. Also played a minor role in selecting SQA's TeamTest for quality assurance and RoboHelp for help files.

Developed a prototype that was used in demonstrating features of the new product at co-developer meetings attended by existing customers, some of which participated in usability sessions to get feedback on desirable improvements and conformance to required functionality. Initial sign ups far exceeded initial expectations.

Created the fundamental design architecture which included user definable work flow, security, cross platform communications, and communications to the Federal Reserve Bank. Conducted SQLWindows training including the recently added Object Oriented Programming features.

Developed the high level communications component called CommsControl. This component isolates the application from the multiple low level communication protocols that the product must support. The central objective here was to deploy as much of the business logic as possible and appropriate using the SQLWindows tool while reserving C++ for small specific protocol handlers. This goal was driven by the primary factors of development efficiency and later ease of maintenance.

1990-1993 Servantis Systems, Inc.

Managed the Mortgage Origination Products. Significantly raised the scores on the product's "Customer Satisfaction" surveys. Introduced improved software release management and procedures that led to shortened release build and QA times along with easier release implementation by the customer.

Introduced improved change control, customer call tracking and phone support procedures. This including the personal design and implementation of an automated application for these functions using MicroSoft's Access tool. The call tracking and change control application is now being used by three additional product groups in other divisions. During my stewardship the largest ever custom modification was undertaken and was accomplished on time and under budget. The effort added Pricing, Pre-Qualification, real-time Credit Checking, and Bar Code capability to the product as an enhancement for all customers.

Evaluated several Client Server tools that included PowerBuilder, SQLWindows, Visual Basic, and Access. A component of each evaluation was to construct a small call tracking system. This no doubt led to the ease with which a final system was built and adopted as described above. However, the real initiative for these evaluations was preparation for the eventual replacement of the then existing product lines by a single Client Server based product.

1986-1990 Servantis Systems, Inc.

Both programmed in and managed a small group responsible for new development and enhancements to the Paperless Electronic Payment (PEP+) application commonly called Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) by financial institutions. This product runs on IBM mainframes utilizing either VSE or MVS operating systems and having a VSAM or IMS database. It is comprised of batch and on-line components. The on-line components run under both CICS and IMS.

One of the major undertakings was to provide on-line availability during batch update access to the data base. Given the application's logic constraints and especially the technical hurdles imposed by the CICS monitor, this was no small feat. However, it was accomplished completely transparent to any of the existing batch or on-line transaction processors.

1985-1986 Servantis Systems, Inc.

Implemented the IMS capability to the above mentioned Servantis PEP+ application. This mostly involved setting up the IMS definition parameters such as PSBs, PCBs, and generating the screen mapping definitions. The IMS JCL was integrated with the existing CICS/batch JCL in a manner allowing maintenance of a single set of JCL. Installed and configured the IMS environment, conducted field tests and installations and subsequent production installations.

1983-1985 Servantis Systems, Inc.

Headed the "Common Software Group" at Servantis. This group was formed specifically to develop common components that would be used in the complete re-development of two flagship products. The common component focus was the platform environments and reporting along with a passive and active data dictionary based database.

All of the on-line communications and on-line and batch database access was isolated from the transaction processors. Even the screen mapping was transparent to the point that the on-line programs could be link edited in such a manner that allowed them to process the same transactions in a batch mode.

The architecture isolated the major on-line interface into a component called a transaction controller whose function was to initiate receiving and sending of messages and scheduling the appropriate transaction processors for the messages. Separated from that was a screen mapping module that handled the differences between CICS and IMS mapping along with isolation of other details of mapping from the transaction processors. Languages: COBOL and sparse assembler.

1980-1983 Servantis Systems, Inc.

Joined Servantis (known then as Stockholder Systems Inc. [SSI]). The position was Sr. Consultant assigned to the Servantis Corporate Shareholder System (CSS). Duties ranged from defect correction, enhancements, and customer support. My significant contributions here were procedure changes, development of automated release builds, automated customer data base, automated change control, and automated release implementation by customers. Platform: MVS, CICS, batch. Languages: COBOL.