BUSINESS ANALYST · DATA ARCHITECT

Data architect and business analyst with extensive experience and a proven ability to streamline processes and data access in relational and dimensional database environments. Gathers business requirements, creates data models and designs systems that increase access to vital information and enable business intelligence reporting. Works effectively with IT personnel and business users to deploy tools, document processes and enhance capabilities. Trains business users and technicians. Areas of expertise include:

• Business Analysis
• Project Management
• Data Architecture
• Data Modeling
• Online Transactions
• Data Warehouse
• Cross-Functional Teams
• Maintenance
• Relational Databases
• Documentation
• Customer Service
• Presentations
• System Requirements

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Confidential, Newark, Delaware · 1997-2009
Subsidiary of Confidential, a leading financial services company with approximately 10K employees and $120B in assets.

Data Architect: Played key role in systems development projects designed to facilitate or enhance data capture and access for transaction processing and reporting in an Oracle 9i production environment. Typically supported 3 project leaders and up to 30 application developers. Reviewed and analyzed business requirements to develop logical, physical (relational) data models for OLTP applications and dimensional (OLAP, ROLAP, snowflake schemas) for data warehouse based applications. Facilitated work groups of IT and business area resources engaged in identifying attributes required to support data capture, analysis and reporting. Developed physical data models, generated DDL code using ERWin v6 and ran scripts to create the data structures in the Oracle 10i test environment. Developed data centric standards and deliverables in support of the corporate SDLC methodology. Documented data architecture artifacts for training and development purposes. Selected IT reporting tools and integrated them into databases. Recognized as the subject matter expert on all Oracle based maintenance and enhancement projects. Assist in improvement of SQL query performance through Oracle indexing features (unique, foreign key, bit map). Provided training for developers and business users on database navigation and report element identification.

Key Accomplishments:

• Improved user satisfaction and business functions significantly by formalizing data management discipline in the IT department and establishing data modeling standards and procedures.
• Saved time and freed resources by successfully advocating re-use of database structures and processes, persuasively making the business case for this approach.
• Consistently delivered exceptional customer service, demonstrating value to project leaders by exceeding expectations; received numerous awards and nominations for excellent performance.
• Coordinated schema migration from Development to Acceptance and Production environments.
• Served as a primary contact for troubleshooting data base and reporting application (Microstrategy v8) performance and results.
• Served as liaison between business users and development staff and between development staff and DBAs.
• Provided technical support for all new system development work for OLTP, web and data warehouse based applications as well as enhancement of existing schemas.
• Consistently out performed departmental service level agreements in support of project teams and user support requests by meeting or beating deliverable service requests and deadlines 92 percent of the time.
• Mentor and train IT staff and business area “power users” on relational and dimensional modeling techniques, data access and development of standard and ad hoc reports.

Confidential, Berwyn, Pennsylvania · 1995-1997
Variable life and annuity 3rd party administrator; purchased by Allianz of Minneapolis in 2007.

Data Analyst & Modeler: Established data management standards and incorporated data modeling methodologies utilizing relational and UML functionality supported by Popkin System Architect. Worked closely with application developers and Data Base Administrators in an Oracle environment. Developed proposal for purchase of the System Architect data management repository tool. Identified business requirements, conducted process and data analysis, and developed data base schema designs.

Key Accomplishments:

• Functioned as Project Leader, Business Analyst and Data Architect in the analysis and development of an Annuity Claims Processing system resulting in improved time in process, management reporting and departmental quality.
• Conducted the evaluation, recommendation and deployment of the CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) tool.
• Developed and authored data management standards and procedures which were incorporated in the development methodology.
• Drove the effort to adopt and customize established methodologies to be followed in the development life cycle.
• Supported various project teams in developing systems for tracking claims, commission processing, and administration of life and annuity products. These projects resulted in reduced manual tracking and reporting processes saving the company labor costs and at the same time increasing quality and reducing processing time.

.Confidential, Frazer, Pennsylvania · 1977-1995
Leading direct marketer of life and supplemental health insurance.

• Senior Business Analyst, Data Administration Analyst & Project Leader: Played integral role in establishing the DB2 and Sybase relational database environments, leveraging past experience and business acumen to lead creation of corporate data model. Developed and maintained Conceptual, Logical and Physical relational schema models in the Pacbase/Pacdesign CASE environment. Selected and deployed Cognos PowerPlay and Impromptu as the end user reporting tools. Trained business users and IT personnel to increase data access and ad hoc reporting. Served as Lead Business Analyst responsible for requirements definition, cost justification, evaluation and selection of Variable Life and Annuity administration systems (Vantage) and automated Life and Health Claims processing (McDonnell Douglas) resulting in significant competitive advantages and cost savings.

Key Accomplishments:

• Led the effort to establish end user reporting for Financial, Marketing and Actuarial departments. Coordinated the evaluation, selection and roll out of end user reporting tools (Cognos PowerPlay and Impromptu).
• Developed and delivered training programs for specific business areas. Driving success factor was educating the business area resources on available data and how to access it in such a way as to deliver meaningful business information
• Responsible for maintaining all aspects of the corporate data repository including identification and implementation of standards for naming conventions, modeling, entity definition and documentation.
• Developed and delivered multiple internal Data Administration related courses to business, development and technical staff (received and Employee Recognition Award for this effort).
• Delivered a presentation on Data Administration and Modeling at the CGI North American Pac Base User Group in 1991.

CAREER NOTE: Past job history also includes other Analyst roles at Providian Life and Health. Details are available upon request.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

• Microstrategy Set-Up, Administration & Reporting
• Data Warehouse Institute Design & Analysis
• Life & Health Insurance
• Insurance Company Operations
• Marketing
• Insurance Administration
• Management Principle & Practices
• Life & Health Law
• SQL I: Select and Manipulate Data
• SQL II: Create and Manage Data Base Objects
• SQL III: Create Advanced Queries and Scripts
• System Development Methodologies

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

Software: Microsoft Office Suite , Microsoft Access , Microsoft Visio
Data modeling Tools:Erwin 6 , Popkin System Architect , Oracle Designer , SQL Plus (Scripting Tool)
Data Bases:Oracle 9i , DB2 , Sybase 
Programming Language:SQL
Business Intelligence Reporting and Analysis:Microstrategy, Cognos PowerPlay, Cognos Impromptu