Ajay Bhargava Resume

Ajay Bhargava

Seeking a senior, hands-on role in product management, consulting, or R&D in an established company or a startup, in software products or IT business. Possess broad, largely US-based, experience with software industry in consulting, product development, and R&D. Willing to relocate internationally.

Areas of Interest (not restricted to): Business Intelligence, Data Warehouse, Data Mining, Analytics, and CRM.

The University of Texas, Austin.

Adjunct Assistant Professor

08/2001 – 05/2005

· Taught an undergraduate course on database design to a class of students from at least 15 different majors, with an average class size of 30 students in 8 semesters. Topics include Database Design (Conceptual, Logical, and Physical), Normalization, SQL, Stored Procedures and Triggers, SDLC, Concurrency Controls, and Data Warehouse Principles. Every student was required to do a group project using SQL Server and Java.

· Constantly working with the CS department to improve the student experience in the Elements Program.

DataCubix Inc., Austin. (Independent Consultant)

(Customer: Best Buy, Richfield, MN)

Data Warehouse Consultant

08/2005 – 10/2005

· Responsible for optimizing the Teradata queries from MicroStrategy reports. The optimized queries were then migrated to Business Objects environment as command objects.

· Strategies for optimization included

1. Creating aggregate tables.

2. Creating secondary indices.

3. Collecting statistics on composite columns.

4. Modifying embedded SQL.

· Optimization resulted in a total savings of more than 180,000 CPU Seconds/Day, with 20 to 99% improvements in total report run times. Resulting changes required no change in the MicroStrategy environment.

· The Analysis included MicroStrategy (Enterprise Manager Reports), Teradata (Query Log Analysis), and Business Objects timing measurements.

· Worked with DBA, ETL, and QA teams in implementing RFC’s associated with the improvements in production.

· Analyzed report performance improvements due to Teradata upgrade.

(Customer: Roundy’s, Milwaukee, WI)

Data Warehouse Consultant

04/2005 – 06/2005

· Responsible for architecting and developing “Cost-based” reports for sales and gross margins, promotions, assortment productivity, and vendor performance. This involved analyzing the existing enterprise-wide data model (Based on Teradata Retail Logical Data Model) across 3 different chains (PickNSave, Rainbow, and Copps) across 150 stores nationwide.

· Facilitated best-practices and sound development environment for report development.

· Based on user feedback (category managers, VP of Merchandising, CIO), implemented UI enhancements to these reports.

· Managed offshore resource and test requirements.

· Suggested and implemented various UI enhancements to existing reports, to enhance the end-user experience.

· Modeled surrogate key implementation in MicroStrategy environment, without impacting hundreds of user filters, thus saving the company considerable time and effort.

(Customer: ToysRUs, Wayne NJ)

Data Warehouse Consultant

05/2004 – 01/2005

· Responsible for architecting and developing various “Merchandise Transformation” subject-area reports, including sales and inventory, stock ledger, item performance, and assortment strategy. This involved analyzing the existing enterprise-wide data model (Based on Teradata Retail Logical Data Model) across 4 different chains (ToysRUs, BabiesRUs, KidsRUs, and ToysRUs.com) across 1500 stores worldwide.

· Worked with business analysts and directors in educating them the capabilities of the tool, as well as offering design options that

· Made the tool easy-to-use for internal customers, who were new to MicroStrategy tools.

· Provided consistent look-and-feel on the web interface, thus reducing the learning curve.

· Worked iteratively, to achieve design objectives, without compromising on performance.

· Built Proof-of-Concepts to show multiple design alternatives.

· Provide optimum layout, with each set of minimal metrics contributing towards business objectives.

· Worked with data modelers and database administrators to

· Ensure that appropriate views are established to support a dimensional data model.

· Communicated various pros/cons of design choices (especially with respect to optimization) to the management team.

· Ensure that optimized SQL is generated when multiple design choices existed.

· Incorporated design changes due to SOX compliance.

· Worked with other members of the team in establishing MicroStrategy development and UAT/Production migration environment and best practices.

· As part of a full SDLC, delivered System Design, Unit Test Plans, and Detailed Design documents across releases.

· Executed test plans before and after Teradata upgrade. Migrated Test Data from Access to Teradata.

· Constantly achieved high level of communication within team (both onsite and offsite), by phone, email, IM, conference calls/meetings, and design documents.

(Customer: Hudson’s Bay Company, Toronto, CA)

Application Architect

12/2003 – 04/2004

· Responsible for architecting the reporting system for the largest and oldest retailer in Canada. This involved analyzing and designing continuum architecture around a consolidated data model that centered around 3 KPIs across from 4 different chains {The Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters, and HBC.com}.

· Assisted in resolving various design challenges keeping the new MicroStrategy tool in mind, as well as adhering to sound data warehousing principles. This was achieved by bringing business analysts, development, and information systems department together in coming up with a workable solution.

· Worked with the corporate architect, development team, and system administrators in developing sound processes and practices in a multi-user, budget and time constrained development environment.

· Advised on various aspects of technical architecture, including report development methodology, security, caching, performance tuning, scheduling and delivery as part of overall data warehouse architecture, to achieve the objectives of clear, actionable reports. As a result, documented key aspects of the technical architecture.

· Advised and assisted project manager on schedule tracking, estimate breakdowns, resource staffing and recruiting, and all the aspects of development and project delivery in a full data warehouse life cycle.

· Developed ETL scripts for loading of Retail/Non-Retail, GP/Non-GP, and FSB Indicators.

· Migrated Cross-Purchase report from RDS Systems into the continuum data model.

Daman Consulting, Austin. (Customer: NetSolve, Austin, TX)

Principal Consultant

09/2003 – 12/2003

· Responsible for design, implementation, and delivery of reporting systems across two releases.

· Implemented bug fixes, architected solutions for reporting in the first 2 weeks to assist in delivery of product.

· As part of overall data warehouse architecture, cleaned up existing data model, established security practices, and provided suggestions for improvement on performance and ETL related issues.

· Designed, Prototyped, and Developed 5 “Mean Time” reports. Starting from requirements clarifications with internal customers, to interfacing with user interface and ETL teams, was responsible for communicating various aspects of the reporting tool, including drilling, graphs, and audit reporting to internal customers and QA.

· Architected a test coverage strategy for all the new reports and templates.

iOLAP, Dallas. (Customer: ATT Wireless, Dallas, TX)

Principal Consultant / Project Manager

03/2003 – 06/2003

· Managed the data warehouse implementation for all eCommerce and direct channel orders for one of the largest wireless communications service provider, including managing resources, release plan, and weekly status meetings.

· As data architect, performed impact assessment of changes in UI and OLTP systems. Designed ensuing multidimensional data model enhancements (logical and physical) using ERWin and implemented in SQL Server.

· As MicroStrategy 7.2.x report developer, interfaced with internal customers to define, develop, test, and migrated reports to production. Also, developed narrowcast schedules and deliver reports to various business users.

· Documented procedures and processes for knowledge transfer within iOLAP and customer.

Net Perceptions, Austin. (Customer: Lowe’s, North Wilkesboro, NC)

Principal Consultant / Engagement Manager

05/2001 – 01/2003

Retail Discovery Suite (RDS) Migration Project

· Migrated RDS product (based on MicroStrategy v5.x) to a complete MicroStrategy v7.x solution. This involved migration and enhancement of 12 RDS reports for the 14th largest retailer (Fortune 100 Company) in USA. Accomplished successful implementation of project by working offsite, within budget, and to customer’s satisfaction.

· Provided suggestions, design options, and thought leadership on issues on a weekly basis.

· Coordinated testing and delivery of solution with remote customer (project manager and DBA) on a daily basis.

· Worked with MicroStrategy on resolving 7.x issues.

Ad Advisor Implementation Project

· Led a team to successfully implement Ad Advisor product implementation at the 14th largest retailer in USA. This contributed to a substantial percentage of Q3 and Q4’01 consulting revenues for Net Perceptions.

· Managed expectations internally and with the customer, using a project plan (MS-Project), weekly status meeting and status reports, tracking action items, issues, and milestone dates and deliverables. A geographically dispersed team of professionals accomplished it by onsite implementation/presentations, and connecting remotely via VPN.

· Estimated the hours needed for preparing statement of work for each sub-phase, based on system development life cycle steps of Detailed Design, Prototyping, Testing, Implementation and Production, followed by Training.

· Taught a 1-week internal class on “MicroStrategy v7.x Reporting and Analysis” in Nov’01.

· Assisted development team in Austin in deciding/prioritizing future enhancements to the product, as well as serving as a liaison between them, our customers, and consulting organization.

QA and Configuration Management

· Managed QA and CM activities, and successfully released NetP v7.1, and subsequent patch release v7.1.1.

· Coordinated QA activities with development staff of 30 engineers in Austin TX, Edina MN, and UK.

· Product was subjected to the most rigorous testing done so far (by the entire development staff) at Net Perceptions.

· Evaluated and interviewed 2 consulting companies’ onsite in Edina for QA automation purposes.

Wavefly Corporation, Austin.

Director

06/2000 – 03/2001

· Created and established the department, and laid the framework for providing a recurring revenue stream from Internet Services. The services included eCommerce, eContent subscriptions, personalization, advertising, and mining related activities from consumers enjoying music, radio, and other eContent off the wireless player product.

· Delivered an 18-month roadmap based on business priorities, along with a white paper, for implementing services under a tight budget. Articulated/iterated/refined this plans, and updated the business plan accordingly.

· Designed database schemas for tracking user, music, radio, and photo content of consumers using ERWin. The physical implementation was done by creating star schemas in SQL Server 7.0.

· Represented Wavefly at the Consumer Electronics Show (01/01) and gave demos of product and technology to senior executives from companies such as 3Com, Sony, Intel, and Panasonic resulting in huge interest.

· Chaired and presented at the first Wavefly software developers conference.

· Formulated a plan to build the infrastructure for selling our products online, using MS IIS and SQL Server.

Net Perceptions, Austin. (Formerly KD1) (Customer: Walgreen’s, Eckerd’s, Target, JC Penney, Sears, Rite Aid)

Business Applications Team Lead

04/1998 – 04/2000

Ad Advisor Product

· Created the “Business Applications Team”, responsible for defining requirements from the customer(s) to documenting, designing, prototyping, and implementing vertical business solutions.

· Directly responsible to VP of Marketing for specifying the requirements, working with the customers, and clearly articulating them to Engineering. Similarly, directly responsible to VP of Engineering in building the data model, and delivering prototypes, along with final implementation of “Advertising Advisor” product.

· Designed and developed 10 report families along with their relevant business metrics.

· Designed and developed the “Data Model” at logical/physical level using ERWin, Teradata DBMS, and ROLAP techniques using MicroStrategy v6.x products. Also, laid the groundwork for E-Commerce data model and reports.

Retail Discovery Suite Product

· Responsible for implementation of business logic for the next generation of DSS reports in RDS. RDS is an enterprise-level product that helps end-users understand customer purchase behavior identifying the most profitable customers and products at the item/transaction level.

· Designed and implemented the business logic involved using Micro Strategy’s ROLAP engine and Visual Basic and C++ as the development language. Used Rational Rose product for class diagrams and use cases.

· Analyzed complex SQL queries in the design and testing of various code paths for implementation.

· Created and implemented Customer Segmentation Reports resulting in significant quarterly revenue for the company.

BMC Software, Austin.

Senior Software Engineer

11/1996 – 04/1998

Windows-based client-server product

· Designed, prototyped, implemented, and shipped a new Windows 95/NT product with DB2 on backend.

· Implemented the Windows-based client to give the same “look and feel” as existing family of products using GUI guidelines, while providing equivalent functionality of the existing server product.

· Produced and reviewed design documents with the team, prototyped and obtained customer feedback at early stages of design, coordinated test plans, and provided feature/functionality/usage scenarios to documentation.

Pervasive Software, Austin. (Formerly Novell, Inc.)

Project Lead / Senior Software Engineer

08/1989 – 11/1996

ODBC Driver

· Managed the release of all ODBC driver products. Led a team of six off-site software developers in the design and development of 16 and 32-bit ODBC drivers for Btrieve products.

· Managed and coordinated the design and implementation of database services modules of Pervasive.SQL.

· Led a team of four engineers in the design, prototyping, class designs and reiterations, design documents, code reviews, and development of data definition SQL statements, security, and new data types.

Pervasive SQL RDBMS Engine

· Designed and implemented the internals of Pervasive.SQL. This involved producing the software requirements specification, coordinated project modules across team members, and implemented the design using OOAD and C++.

· Designed and implemented a GUI record-viewer tool for Btrieve on Windows 2.1.

Standard Committees and Developer Conferences

· Technical Architect – IDAPI. Designed preliminary specification of the IDAPI architecture, working with architects from Borland, IBM, and WordPerfect. Applied first-hand, the art of negotiation and compromise in solving problems.

· Technical Representative - SAG and X/Open committee. Participated in the design of CLI and SQL CAE Specifications, worked with engineers from leading DBMS vendors, and reviewed and submitted change proposals. API specifications such as ODBC, IDAPI, and JDBC have been built using CLI as foundation.

· Represented Novell at DRDA conference, Database World, with in-depth presentations in MacWorld92, Pervasive Software developer’s conference, and Novell’s BrainShare’94.

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TOOLS

Business Intelligence: MicroStrategy 5.x, 6.x, and 7.x DSS tools, Business Objects, ERWin, SQL Assistant (Queryman), Toad, Retail Discovery Suite, and ODBC.

DBMS: Teradata, SQL Server, Oracle, Access, DB2, Btrieve, Pervasive SQL.

Management: MS-Project, MS-Office.

Languages: C++, C, Visual Basic, HTML, Pascal, FORTRAN, UML, SQL.

Development: Visual Studio, Rational Rose, SourceSafe, Vantive, WinCVS, FTP, VNC, VPN, StarTeam, and Lotus Notes.

TRAINING

· Successfully completed the following classes: MicroStrategy v7.x Reporting Essentials and Advanced Reporting class, MicroStrategy v5.x DSS Tools, MicroStrategy v5.x SQL Engine Generation class, MS Project training class, DB2 Database design and administration Workshop, JAVA-Sun Developer’s Camp, Object-oriented Architecture and Idioms, C++, Successful Business Relations, Presentation Skills, Time Management, Performance Management.

· In 06/99, taught the following 3 courses (on a temporary assignment) at CompuTech Services:

A. Database Fundamentals and Design B. Introduction to SQL C. Introduction to Oracle’s PL/SQL

· Taught team-education classes on various database and networking tools and products in-house at Novell.

· Presented “Query Optimization” at Novell’s developer conference in BrainShare’94.

EDUCATION

· M.S. Computer Science, University of Texas, Arlington. 05/1992

· M.S. Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas, Arlington. 07/1987

· B.Tech. Aeronautical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T.), Mumbai. 05/1984

PERSONAL

· Married, with 2 children.

· Age: 43.

Career Highlights: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/ajay/cv/ajay_bhargava_high.html