Senior Technical Writer, Sales and Program Management Support, Business Analysis at NPI, Fort Worth, TX
November 2008 to Present
- In addition to software technical writing, currently providing part-time program management and sales support for major international contracts awarded to NPI.
- Provided full-time program management and sales support in the creation, development, and delivery of preliminary and executive project plans for major international contracts awarded to NPI.
- Pioneered, implemented, and currently utilize the technical publications development methodologies used to deliver software and hardware documentation.
- Create, deliver, and maintain guides, manuals, and procedures for the company’s software and some hardware (deliverable types include, but are not limited to: hardware configuration guides; hardware setup procedures; manufacturing software setup guides; software operators guide; programming quick start guide; software administrator guides; software installation guides; software upgrade guides; software user guides; software utility user guides; troubleshooting guide).
- Templatized FrameMaker and Word files are used to generate PDF files. Over 170 PDF revisions spanning more than 45 engineering change notice (ECN) controlled deliverables have been released.
- Create, deliver, and maintain compiled HTML help files (.chm), web browser-based WebHelp, and Sphinx-generated versions of help for the company’s software. About 160 compiled HTML Help (.chm) revisions spanning over 45 software products have been committed in Subversion.
- Revised guides and help are reviewed and tested by other members of various departments before they are given official approval for release.
- Software and hardware documentation goes through the review and revision process in parallel with software and hardware testing.
- Created, implemented, and maintain internal wikis for the customer service, publications, software development, software quality assurance, and tier 3 departments.
Tools in use: Adobe Acrobat Pro, Apache, Cygwin, DraftSight, Expression Web, FrameMaker, Mercurial, MoinMoin Wiki Engine, Paint Shop Pro, Python, reStructuredText, RoboHTML, Snagit, Sphinx (Python document generator), Subversion, TiddlyWiki, TopStyle Pro, TortoiseHg, TortoiseSVN, WampServer, Word, and XAMPP.
Publications and Training Manager at NPI, Fort Worth, TX
December 2017 to July 2018
- Directed all aspects of the publications and training department and staff.
Continued to provide software technical writing and part-time program management and sales support for major international contracts awarded to NPI.
Senior Technical Writer at Overhead Door Corporation, Richardson, TX
July 2008 to October 2008
Created and revised the user manual for a .NET rich client application that uses SQL Server 2005 Express, .NET 2.0, web services, and JD Edwards.
Integrated a .chm based help system into the .NET rich client application.
Created a wiki based proof of concept for the delivery of the user manual.
Tools used: Apache, Expression Web, IIS, MoinMoin Wiki Engine, Paint Shop Pro, Python, RoboHelp, TopStyle Pro, Visual C#, and Word.
Senior Technical Writer at Furmanite Worldwide, Inc., Richardson, TX
January 2008 to April 2008
- Created, developed, and revised a field user guide for a customized global implementation of Microsoft Dynamics SL 7.
- Created wiki and browser based proof of concepts and technologies for the delivery of the field user guide.
Tools used: Apache, Excel, Expression Web, IIS, MoinMoin Wiki Engine, Paint Shop Pro, Python, RoboHelp, SharePoint, TopStyle Pro, and Word.
June 2006 to December 2007
- Sole technical writer in the company. Supported the company’s accounting and finance, development, human resources, marketing, network operations, quality assurance, research and development, sales, and service delivery departments.
- Created, implemented, and maintained an internal corporate wiki. During the wiki’s first year of use, almost 11,000 page saves and 12,000 page views were logged. The wiki contained nearly 2,000 pages of content created and edited by various company personnel.
- Created, published, and implemented managed document technical writing standards, life cycle processes, document templates, and change management procedures.
- Created and delivered help systems for direct response call management and virtual ACD applications.
- Designed and implemented templatized and versioned pre-sales proposals and statements of work (SOWs) for use by the sales and service delivery organizations.
- Managed virtual teams to respond to RFPs and RFIs.
Tools used: Acrobat Pro, Excel, Expression Web, FrameMaker, IIS, MoinMoin Wiki Engine, Paint Shop Pro, Python, RoboHelp, TopStyle Pro, Visual SourceSafe, Windows Web Server, and Word.
October 2005 to June 2006
- Designed, wrote, edited, and published over 240 task-oriented corporate administration documents in collaboration with subject matter experts.
- Created file and naming convention standards for Documentum Web Publisher change management use.
- Designed and implemented Word-based templates to unify the presentation of documents across different lines of business.
- Created, published, and implemented a set of technical writing standards, document life cycle processes, and change management procedures.
Tools used: Documentum eRoom, Documentum Web Publisher, Snagit, and Word.
Senior Technical Writer, Help Author, and Proposal Support at Adea Solutions, Inc., Irving, TX
March 2004 to August 2005
- Designed, wrote, edited, and developed HTML help and PDF user and administrator guides for a .NET-based self-service web and voice analytics application.
- Provided corporate RFP and RFI support in collaboration with SMEs and salespeople.
Tools used: Acrobat, Doc-To-Help, FrameMaker, Paint Shop Pro, RoboHelp, Snagit, Visio, and Word.
Senior Technical Writer and Business Analyst at Verizon Communications, Inc., Irving, TX
March 2003 to January 2004; March 2004 to August 2005
- Designed and developed a user and administrator guide for a web-based .NET end-to-end sales cycle management tool in Word and HTML versions.
- Aggregated and published rate element, product, and contact information for a data migration project.
- Designed, wrote, and delivered a sales infrastructure disaster recovery plan.
- Assisted in the organization and development of the business requirements document (BRD) for a web-based end-to-end sales cycle management tool.
- Designed, wrote, and delivered a high-level application overview.
- Created, wrote, and delivered print and web-based help versions of a user guide for a .NET ordering, provisioning, and workflow service engine.
- Documented over eight hundred C# source code functions.
- Coordinated and facilitated the resolution of FTTP test and production incident reports (IRs) across multiple IR tools used by multiple lines of business.
- Provided an executive director with a weekly status snapshot of all projects.
- Wrote the customer requirements document (CRD), detailed design document (DDD), and high-level technical requirements document (TRD) for an internally developed call center instant messaging application.
- Planned, developed, and delivered UML use cases, user scenarios, sequence, activity, and class diagrams in collaboration with .NET developers.
- Mapped out, wrote, edited, and delivered a quick-start user guide and a comprehensive user guide for a web-based asset tracking system, which was used to track all hardware, hardware peripherals, and software owned and licensed for use in the Verizon Retail and IT Strategy organizations.
- Designed, wrote, edited, and delivered a user guide and an administrator guide for a web-based program and project management lifecycle tool called DevCentral.
- Developed standards-based system testing templates for DevCentral User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
- Performed system testing, UI testing, and debugging on DevCentral, which resulted in over 42 changes and improvements to the DevCentral web-based user interface.
- Wrote, edited, and delivered DevCentral development technical requirements in collaboration with the development team and end user team.
- Wrote, edited, and delivered technical requirements from .NET C# code.
- Edited and delivered capacity planning for EWIS (Enterprise WorkFlow Integration Server). EWIS is a Web Services and .NET framework used by the Verizon Retail organization to enable them to concentrate on the tuning of their business processes instead of the orchestration and administration of the business processes.
- Wrote, edited, and delivered the EWIS Developer Design Guide, the EWIS Developer How To Verify Functions Work Correctly Guide, and the EWIS Developer Task How-To Guide.
- Composed process maps, process flows, and network diagrams from VB.NET and ASP.NET code using Visio.
Tools used: Acrobat, Doc-To-Help, DOORS, Excel, FrameMaker, FrontPage, Paint Shop Pro, PowerPoint, Project, SharePoint, Snagit, UML, Visio, Visual Studio 2003 EA .NET Code Comment Web Report, and Word.
Technical Writer and Regional Proposal Manager at Genuity/GTE Internetworking, Lewisville, TX
January 2000 to February 2003
- Provided sales support for a regional enterprise sales organization.
- Governed the entire RFP response process in collaboration with engineers, enterprise business consultants, enterprise network consultants, account executives, account representatives, sales management, and sales channels.
- Designed, wrote, edited, and delivered over 170 RFP and RFI responses with a combined sales value exceeding $180,000,000.
- Designed, wrote, edited, and delivered an unsolicited proposal for a major nationwide sales campaign.
- In my sales region alone, RFP wins for the year 2000 equaled the combined amount of RFP wins for the entire company in 1999.
- Year 2000 RFP wins accounted for 25% of the total year 2000 sales in my region.
- Enterprise-level sales opportunities and proposal wins ranged in size from $50,000 to over $5,000,000.
- Designed, administered, and maintained Excel and Access-based tools used for manually tracking and managing salesperson performance, sales pipeline and forecasting information for the regional sales vice president, district sales managers, regional operations manager, and account executives.
Tools used: Acrobat, Excel, FrameMaker, Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Pragmatech RFP Machine, Visio, and Word.
September 1998 to September 1999
- Consulted with different teams to assist in the development of IP Telecom sales goals and strategies.
- Designed, maintained, and updated spreadsheets used for manually tracking sales pipeline and forecasting.
- Produced presentations for AVP and directors for the monthly operational readiness meetings.
- Administered the Knowledge Bank (a shared intranet web site) for IP Telecom.
- Developed a joint IPT Sales/Marketing intranet web site.
- Planned, coded, and deployed a customized version of the IP Fax Pricing Tool to TeleSales, Inc.
- Mapped out, coded, and distributed the IP Fax Pricing Tool to the IPT Sales Force and to GTE Communications Corporation.
- Designed, coded, and deployed the Cost of Fax Tool to IPT Sales and GTE Communications Corporation.
- Designed and programmed the end user Internet Call Manager sign-up CD-ROM.
- Created the Internet Call Manager Pricing Tool using Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise, RoboHELP Office, and Word.
Tools used: Excel, Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop, PowerPoint, RoboHelp, Visual Basic 6 Enterprise, and Word.
Technical Writer and Help Author at Adventa Control Technologies/Texas Instruments, Dallas, TX
September 1996 to September 1998
- Mapped out, wrote, revised, and delivered software user guides, a software developer’s guide, and software training materials in multiple media.
- Contributed significantly to the design, implementation strategy, and topic writing for an intranet-based hypertext multiple volume software user guide.
- Contributed to the design and implementation strategy for delivering multiple volume documentation in multiple media.
- Designed, developed, and deployed an intranet on-line publication viewing and distribution system.
- Wrote, developed, and delivered a software user guide in paper and PDF media for another TI internal group.
- Designed, prototyped, and delivered a software user guide for hypertext delivery.
- Planned, wrote, and published a 275 page software training manual using PowerPoint.
- Designed FrameMaker and Word templates for testing, training, and end user documentation standards.
Tools used: Acrobat, Compose, FrameMaker, Javascript, Kawa, PowerPoint, and Word.
Technical Writer at Excel Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX
May 1996 to September 1996
- Designed, produced, and published an intranet on-line publication.
- Documented process flows, data models, project methodology, project management, and code used to implement a major hardware and software platform migration project.
Tools used: Acrobat, FrameMaker, Visio, and Word.
Technical Writer at Abbott Laboratories Diagnostics Division, Irving, TX
April 1994 to November 1995; February 1996 to May 1996
- Completed 75% of the second revision of a 500 page field service manual.
- Produced and published on-line and print versions of a 500 page field service manual.
- Designed, wrote, and published an end user/field service training guide. The guide contained 210 graphics derived from AutoCAD drawings, scanned images, and PhotoPaint images.
- Planned out, produced, and published field service level training materials for a two-week training course.
- Designed and wrote a 200 page field service pocket troubleshooting guide.
- Mapped out, produced, and published 3 field service manuals.
Tools used: Acrobat, Ami Pro, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, CorelDraw, FrameMaker, PhotoPaint, Ventura Publisher, and Visio.
Technical Writer and Web Author at Tell My People, Inc., Harlingen, TX
May 1995 to September 1999
- Designed, authored, administered, deployed, and maintained the web site found at www.tmpinc.org.
- Produced building fund campaign flyers and brochures for a 1,000 person mailing list.
Tools used: Access, FrontPage, Javascript, PageMaker, Photoshop, and Word.
Technical Writer and CAD/CAM Programmer at Frontier Distributors, Dallas, TX
October 1995 to February 1996
- Produced sales flyers and brochures to enhance the sale of parts and supplies associated with the industrial sewing machine market.
- Designed, produced, and published a product catalog.
- Created over 50 CAD/CAM drawings of custom-made industrial sewing machine table tops.
- Programmed and successfully manufactured each table top drawn using a Fagor 8025GP milling machine for automated routing of each table top, which resulted in an 800% production increase for some table tops.
Tools used: BobCAD Gold, Fagor 8025GP Milling Machine, PhotoPaint, and Word.
Business Analyst and Technical Writer at AT&T Real Estate, Dallas, TX
February 1993 to November 1993
- Designed and implemented a database system to accurately provide the data necessary to consolidate 65 different business units.
- Created, implemented, and maintained spreadsheets used to calculate consolidation costs per business unit on an individual and collective basis.
- Designed, wrote, and distributed customized reports based on the individual analysis of each business unit.
Tools used: Paradox, Quattro Pro, and Word.