Executive Resume
Larry Vanerwegen
675 Gisler Way Hayward, CA 94544
Phone: (510) 733-2632 Email:
Highlights of Qualifications
Information Technology, Program/System Design, E-Business, System Analysis,Training, Coding
Success-proven information technology (IT) manager with industry-recognized expertise and documented record of achievements involving system development, e-business, project development, systems training, and software coding. Accomplished "best practices" results with enterprise-wide technology solutions (hardware, software, e-business, execution) in the telecommunications and financial sectors. Excellent ability to provide full development and maintenance of telecommunication and computer systems.
Professional Experience
Qwest Telecommunications
Campbell, California
Network Technician II
2001 to 2001
Conducted first-line WAN/VPN surveillance, analysis and repair for a network that utilized over 200 national servers and associated terminals. Maintained access to servers and printers across the entire network and resolved any firewall issues that interfered with proper function of network components.
· Provided continuous maintenance for the network to eliminate errors, latency, and non-delivery of data packets. Utilized proprietary tools created by Telera, Inc. to monitor customer usage and call timings in real time.
· Monitored network traffic flow to identify and reroute traffic around problem areas. Repaired or removed equipment that was not performing to standard. Adjusted routing tables to keeping traffic flowing.
· Designed and maintained an internal reference website for use by other techs and management. This “reference manual” contained circuit maps, procedures, and customer-specific information. New information and the latest technology were immediately available to technicians, as the “manual” could be updated quickly.
GST Telecom
Walnut Creek, California
Computer Technician II
1998 to 2000
Designed and implemented necessary LAN changes for addition of new suite to accommodate growing employee base. On occasions when IT was too slow, improvised installations and documented them for the IT management group. Provided repair, reconfiguration, and troubleshooting training for personal computers and printers. Coordinated with outside vendors for services involving laptop, laser printer and plotter repair.
· Served as the only desktop support person for clients throughout Northern California, assisting them with both hardware and software issues.
· Implemented remote upgrade maintenance facilities in client base of 250 users.
· Developed schedules and procedures for upgrading users to latest software.
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PC World Magazine
San Francisco, California
Computer Specialist
1997 to 1998
Provided help desk support to assist personnel with network access and hardware problems. Designed time-efficient procedures for upgrading new systems to corporate standards. Monitored an online inventory system, audited the data and input new equipment as necessary.
· Built systems for user upgrades, configured non-standard software and hardware for evaluation by writers for published reviews.
· Maintained all standard HP DeskJet printers in the editorial offices. Also provided support for the Textronics color printers as well as wax transfer and toner-based color systems.
Credit Reports Inc
Santa Clara, California
Programmer/Analyst
1992 to 1997
Administered telecommunications operations for the credit reporting process to ensure system reliability. Built and maintained backup systems on Novell servers that would run autonomously and report failures to R&D. Developed testing plans for timing passage of the credit report through the system to verify whether it was running to specification. Participated in hardware purchasing decisions and order fulfillment.
· Designed and built a multi-channel data delivery system that reduced report delivery latency from several hours to a few minutes. As a result, the company generated additional income by providing a faster premium service.
· Modified third-party software to enable it to accept and deliver credit report orders after other systems processed them. The system handled 2000+ calls per day, generating a minimum revenue of $50 per call.
· Designed and maintained an automated backup system that alerted IT staff to backup failures, allowing prompt repair and ensuring system reliability.
· Created a new process that streamlined reporting delivery systems. Built, coded and delivered a new system that allowed reports to be generated on schedule where they had previously run several hours behind.
Pacific Bell
San Ramon, California
Design Analyst
1965 to 1992
Administered project-tracking software and provided daily status reports to senior management. Maintained the mainframe accounts used for cost control and abuse. Provided program specifications to programming staff for new/upgraded systems. Coordinated the acquisition of parts and service for the district’s 185-user PC system. Developed a switching system failure alert program, utilizing existing data systems, to notify remote surveillance personnel of any problems.
· Developed a project reporting system, based on existing e-mail systems, that rolled all projects together, detecting conflicting demands on resources. Management had ongoing access to up-to-date status reports on all statewide projects; previous reporting systems worked via U.S. mail, resulting in a delay of a week.
· Developed assembly language program on the Western Electric 1A processor to reduce recovery time from catastrophic recent change (RC) loss, a computer crash that causes service outages affecting hundreds of customers, from three to four days to just a few hours. Customer complaints were drastically reduced.
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· Coded database for untrained weekend coverage personnel to have rapid access to trunking data, expediting repairs. Received a commendation for the effort.
· Coded and implemented computerized self-paced training tracking system, enabling class supervisors to intelligently plan for returning students to the work force.
· Developed a “wartime attack readiness” system for company officers to procure circuit restoral information. Designed the system based on only the presumption that officers would know how to turn on the machine. Finished the four-week project one week before deadline, and the company passed its next readiness test. Received several commendations from the executive staff.
Education
· Chabot College, Hayward, CA. AA in general Ed. 1991
· University of Phoenix. Currently in abeyance candidate for BS in Information Systems.
Computer Proficiency
Software / All Microsoft operating systems, including networking; MS Office suite; Adobe PageMaker; Corel Draw, Borland C++ 4.5, Symantec PC Anywhere, LotusNotesWeb Development / MS Front Page and Adobe Page Mill.
Languages / Basic, C, Pascal, and Visual Basic.
Special Interests and Activities
· Retired Board of Governors of American Heritage Christian Schools 14 years
· Eight years “Commander” of Awana clubs for preschool through Jr. High.
Special Aptitudes/Abilities
· Professional Audio. Designed and built Audio and visual sound system for Fairway Park Baptist Church. System including 24 channels of mixing ability, 400 watts of amplifier power. Used wireless technology, LCD projectors, professional-level VHS and CD systems. On occasion some programs recorded were selected for use on the family radio worldwide radio network.
Key Accomplishment Summary
Larry Vanerwegen
Dramatically Increased Efficiency of Credit Reporting System
Situation:
An automated reporting system was creating bottlenecks that caused consumer credit reports to be delayed several hours in being delivered to the bank. Priority jobs could not be detected and moved to top of job stack. There was a high level of customer complaints. This system utilized three computers, delivering three reports simultaneously. If a failure occurred in delivery, that entire computer would hang up until a technician became aware there was a problem and cleared the machine. Since each computer was dedicated to processing one report at a time, the loss of a system reduced production by 33 percent. The cost of new computers to increase reporting capacity was high and space was also an issue.
Action Plan:
· Developed a system that used one computer and a “super processor” that could deliver many reports simultaneously. The initial computer was used to set up a queue and filter jobs into the super processor. Reports were generated on this unit and delivered to the customer by means of 16 separate output modems. A hung report would go back to the top of the queue for reprocessing. Terminal failures were addressed by a troubleshooting system.
· Designed a premium-based priority service that allowed for a “premium” customer’s job to be processed first.
· Automated systems to detect modem and/or telephone line failures and automatically restored without restarting the system. Corrupted job stacks were auto-detected and recovered as well.
· Built system to tolerate excessive job queue hold time by other systems without holding up credit report delivery and to isolate each delivery channel so a failure on one did not impact the function of the others.
· Provided operations staff with visual indicators of system operations, including troubleshooting tools to correct failures quickly. The system also provided a reporting function to detect excessive failures by channel or customer to isolate deteriorating hardware.
· Incorporated a reporting system that produced detailed system logs of delivery dates and times, and the length of time each job was in the queue.
Results:
The new system could handle 16 simultaneous delivery jobs, using one computer. Delays of four to five hours that had previously been commonplace virtually disappeared. Reports were processed immediately with occasional delays of perhaps a few minutes per occurrence. Human intervention also became unnecessary and 1,500 credit reports were processed daily. Courier hours were reduced to near zero, and customer satisfaction increased more business was generated because of fast turnaround.
Key Accomplishment Summary
Larry Vanerwegen
Designed System to Maximize Customer Ease and Efficiency
Situation:
Due to changing market demands a residential mortgage credit report company needed an online mechanism to order and retrieve credit reports in less than three hours. The procedure was an order would be faxed to the bureau and clerks would type in the data validate against current billing records and release the report for processing. Reliance on human data entry was restricted to “working hours” and it was not unusual for a customer to have to wait six to eight hours of processing time. In addition, system upgrades and updates would halt the entire system. Our competitors were beginning to use the online interface and the company had to “come into the future.”
Action Plan:
· Examined the market for an existing program that could be licensed for modification to meet the company’s needs.
· Specified and ordered hardware upon CFO approval. Tested and configured all hardware and integrated the system with existing customer software so software upgrades/updates/modifications could be made without interfering with operation.
· Recoded data transfer protocols for compatibility with the company’s system.
· Provided near real-time update of systems account records and automated regeneration of those records if there was a catastrophic system failure. Designed backup system that would ensure system remained current in case of computer/power failure.
· Automated account validation and order data input to ensure accuracy.
Results:
The new online system could handle 64 simultaneous connections from customers. Customer orders could be accepted and sent to external processing and return a report in 60 seconds or less. While the goal was to obtain a report in 60 seconds, in actual practice the system returned finished reports in less than 30 seconds. Automated systems provided customers with access to the system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, giving maximum flexibility. At the time of the company’s sale, the system was handling 2,000 orders a day with a minimum revenue of $50 per call.
Key Accomplishment Summary
Larry Vanerwegen
Created Automated Tuition System for Accurate Reporting
Situation:
A private school was maintaining accounts receivable records manually in a ledger system. Errors were a constant source of complaint from the parents. No cross-check procedures were in effect to ensure accuracy; human error was a significant factor. Tuition arrears reports frequently took three days to process and were subject to errors. If the accountant was not on duty, the data was not available at all. The only notification of an error in reporting came when a parent called to complain about having received a delinquency notice despite having sent in a payment. If a payment was posted to the wrong account, the payment could be transferred to the right account to placate the complaining parent, but the payment would not removed from the second account. This resulted in lost revenue for the school. Management had no up-to-date information on its cash flow.
Action Plan:
· Studied the existing ledger process and questioned school administrators on procedure and reporting requirements.
· Developed prototype reports and onscreen samples for users and utilized their input to settle on the final design.
· Coded and delivered the first version for beta testing. The tuition accounting system and the fund raising system were originally coded in BASIC, later ported to Pascal.
· System was designed to provide management summaries of monies “lost” as a result of discounts and/or scholarships. Revenue projections through end of year were made available. Reporting functions allowed for quick access to arrears balances and pinpointed accounts with chronic delinquency issues.
· Discounts were tracked by type and amount, including the impact of employee free tuition. This provided a reporting source for tax documents and potential write offs.
· Preset reports created self-maintaining mailing lists for contacting parents, either for all parents (containing newsletters and school announcements) or for those who had unacceptable balances on the books.
Results:
The beta test “Version 1” could create up-to-date tuition reports in 45 minutes. The current version completes any requested report in fewer than 11 seconds. In its first year, the system was credited with recovering $10,000 in lost revenue over a base of $150,000. Subsequent upgrades provided mailing lists of all clients or just those in arrears, creating automated letters to parents who were seriously in arrears. Security measures was implemented, allowing only a restricted number of personnel to input data while other staff members had read-only access to the records. This reduced the number of “fingers in the pie,” thereby reducing errors. The system enabled management to determine in a few seconds how much revenue they could anticipate in a given month, how much was in arrears and accounts could be investigated quickly and securely. The school is still in using this automated system more than a decade later.
Industry Insights
Larry Vanerwegen
The All-Important Role of the IT Tech
Going the “Extra Mile”