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BIRMINGHAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DETAILS
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I have worked as an Analyst Programmer at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce since October 2002 up to the present day.
When I started, the Chamber had just invested in a new off-the-shelf CRM system - IMPACT - to replace an array of disparate systems and plug the gaps where no system was being used at all.
Whilst IMPACT came with some comprehensive CRM functionality, extensive work was required to enable the many and varied departments within the organisation to record their activities.
My job was to find out what each department needed from the new system, and to develop it for them, as well as doing more general amendments to the system along the way.
While IMPACT is essentially controlled by software on the server, the front end works very much like an extranet application, running in Internet Explorer.
As such, working on it covers many aspects of web development. Using a WYSIWYG editor that comes with the software, I create new screens and edit existing ones. Then the bulk of my work is using client and server side JavaScript to add necessary functionality and to process the inputs.
Many screens are enhanced with event driven DHTML for validation, dynamic functionality, or changing the screen as a result of what was just entered.
Working in a small team, I cover every aspect of the project life-cycle.
I first meet with user contacts several times to decide and finalise what is required for their department. Then I produce a specification for the module to be developed, producing an estimate of how many man-hours this work will take.
Once this is agreed, I will start development and the user contacts will be invited to review work in progress at regular demonstrations. While individual units of work are tested as they are developed, once development is completed, the whole module has to be tested rigorously, and the existing system has to be tested against the new module in case there are clashes or bugs.
If required, a training guide is written, often followed by one or more training sessions with users from the department concerned. Once the software is rolled out, ongoing support is provided on an ad hoc basis, and we operate a change request procedure should any changes be required.
One of the biggest concerns is marrying up what the end users want with what is required for business processes, data integrity and MI reporting requirements. As such, all prospective developments are scrutinised closely by the MI Manager and necessary amendments and additions are decided before a specification is produced.
The development software really limits what you can and can't do compared to normal web development, so the biggest challenges are using JavaScript and DHTML to overcome those limitations, stretching my coding ability.
Due to forthcoming restructuring at the Chamber and the possibility of redundancy, I am now searching for my next position.
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