Short Personal History

I have worked with computer software systems for over 25 years, in aerospace, telecommunications, government, law enforcement, retail, entertainment, health insurance, software services, mobile and web design. More recently, I have become involved with the adoption of agile best practices into the traditional business analyst role. Click the icons at the bottom of the page to access books and articles I have published.

Profile

Born in the UK, I have lived in the Pacific North-West since 1997. Prior to moving ‘out west’ I spent 8 fabulous years in Ontario, Canada.

Education

I became interested in computers at a very young age, when I visited a mainframe facility. I remember being dressed in a plastic jacket, shoe coverings and hairnet, just so I could get a close look at machines that processed data. At the age of 14, Computer Studies was added to the school syllabus and I jumped at the opportunity to learn how to program with software. I continued my education in computers until I was 22, when I graduated from Exeter University with a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science.

Software Engineer

After graduating, I taught mathematics and computing at a local secondary school (They let me program the school computers in my spare time). After a year of teaching, l achieved my real career goal as a software engineer, programming systems for an aerospace company. I spent 5 years writing software for artillery systems, tanks, helicopters and anti-aircraft guns, before I was offered and accepted, a job as a systems analyst with British Aerospace.

Aerospace Systems Analyst

At the British Aerospace plant in Bristol, I learnt how do perform systems analysis on the airbus programme. In particular, I modeled the fuel control systems for the A330 and A340. With my new found skills, I was offered a similar system analyst position, on the International Space Station. I jumped at the opportunity to move to Toronto, where I focused on improving my analysis skills in systems modeling, writing requirements documents and managing projects. With the Canadarm project coming to an end, and little money being pumped into new aerospace projects, it was time for a career change.

Commercial Systems Analyst

It was the late 90s and the telecommunications boom was happening. So I moved from aerospace, to a small telecommunications company just outside Seattle. After working for 2 startup telecommunication companies (both went bust), I was offered a position with Nike, as a business analyst. In this role I discovered that a business analyst is the same as a systems analyst, except that I am expected to speak to business experts (and not just users of the system).

Business Analyst

From this point in my career, I shifted my expertise from system analysis, to include business analysis, and with my new found skills, I spent the majority of my time contracting for companies that needed my expertise. The benefit of contracting is that you get to use the skills that you are best at, for the time that they are needed, and then you move on.

Agile Analyst

These days, I am still consulting, and I get great satisfaction from passing on my expertise. I have brought my skills to retail, health care, web design, law enforcement and mobile app projects, to name a few. Recently I have adopted a more agile approach to business and systems analysis, based on best practices of the Scrum methodology. My agile experience is documented in my book “A Business Analyst’s Experience With Agile”, which was published in 2019.

Summary

Previously, I published a book titled “Analysis Through Pictures”. This book details the knowledge, skills, methods and best practices that I used as a systems analyst, up to 2011. It shows how the Rational Unified Process can be used effectively, to produce quality software systems. I have been actively involved with the International Institute of Business Analysis. I joined the IIBA after they asked me to give a presentation about traceability. Since then I have presented an analysis model of the Business Analysis Body Of Knowledge, and published several analysis presentations to various business analysis organizations. My website is intended to share my analysis knowledge skills and presentations with anyone who is interested in learning about the role of a business analyst.

Contact me if you wish to know more about my skills and experience or have a comment about the information on this web site.