I was transferred to TCS from Equifax under TUPE regulations, as part of an outsourcing contract. My role and responsibilities were unchanged from Equifax up to 14th December 2007, apart from training TCS employees to perform the same role, as myself.

I joined EQUIFAX PLC as a Senior Analyst Programmer.

Software Maintenance and Development
Initially, I was involved in many small-scale developments and I acquired knowledge of various aspects the IT business:
Building and testing criteria and scorecards for credit decisions.
Using PREDICT to change ADABAS databases.
Using debugging tools i.e. XPEDITER, NATURAL DEBUGGER, INTEREST and EDF for NATURAL and CICS.
Creating test addresses and test data for Client testing of scorecards and CPU-links.

I had sole responsibility for all developments on an ADABAS NATURAL application processing system, for a major client for approximately 2 years. I have successfully completed many major developments, either single-handedly, or with the assistance of colleagues and contractors who I have supervised, and I have improved the business relationship with this client. I have attended meetings with clients on many occasions. I have also co-ordinated major implementations with clients to ensure a minimum of potential risks.
For many years, I supported an internal part of the business, which deals with the loading and processing of Insight data that is used for ALL credit decisions, and for ALL clients.
My knowledge and understanding of the relationship between IT and business requirements has greatly expanded with this experience.
Starting in mid-2006, I was responsible for a major client development, developing batch systems to migrate database data, with multi-million pound revenue attached.
The bulk of my programming experience has been with ADABAS NATURAL, but I have also used BATCH and CICS COBOL.
In 2007, I was seconded to a team to gain experience in amending and testing programs for credit score characteristics in a product called Risk Navigator.
In October 2007, I was transferred to TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES (TCS) from Equifax under TUPE regulations, as part of an outsourcing contract.

Documentation
I have produced documentation using Microsoft Office, on a Novell client/server network.

Technical Support
I provided technical support to the Help Desk using ManageNow, to create Change tickets and update Problem tickets.
I contributed to the Year 2000 project, by recording online testing of ADABAS NATURAL systems using HIPERSTATION, and then provided assistance in the Year 2000 compliance certification.
On many occasions, I volunteered to take part in annual Disaster Recovery testing, where I run bespoke CPU-link harness programs, and other online mainframe systems.
I performed Out-of-Hours support for many years, for my own system changes as well as general overnight batch systems. For this purpose, I was provided with an IBM portable PC to access the IBM mainframes via both Dial-up and VPN.

Training
In 1997, I attended a NATURAL programming course, at Software AG, in Derby.

I joined BRADFORD & BINGLEY BUILDING SOCIETY as a Senior Technician (Senior Analyst Programmer).

Software Maintenance and Development
I was a member of a Support Team, and performed various roles in support of a core business system called CBAS, which maintained all the societies’ mortgage details, as well as related batch schedules. This system consisted of DB2 tables and TELON COBOL CICS modules. The bulk of my work involved developing and amending TELON COBOL DB2 programs, both batch and online.
I resigned in January 1997.

Documentation
I produced documentation using Microsoft Office, on a Novell client/server network.

Technical Support
My role involved contact with other Head Office departments to deal with technical problems using initially, an INFOMAN-based system, and then Help Desk Expert (HDE). Solutions were achieved through technical investigation and program amendments.
My duties included overnight and weekend support for mainframe batch schedules. I was provided with an IBM 486 portable PC to gain access the IBM mainframes via a Novell client/server network, with a mobile phone connection to the mainframe to allow me to provide home support in my callout role.

Training
I received in-house training to use Help Desk Expert (HDE), for assist in resolving technical problems.

Software Maintenance and Development
For the first three years I worked in a programmer pool, where I was writing, amending and testing programs. This involved batch and online programming on an IBM mainframe, using COBOL with Batch IMS, Online IMS and CICS, and also DB2. The Jackson Structured Programming technique was in standard use. After 2 years, I was promoted to Programmer grade 1.
In December 1990, I moved to the Stores Development team as an Analyst Programmer. This new role involved contact with ASDA store personnel throughout the UK, dealing with technical problems via an INFOMAN-based system. Solutions were achieved through technical investigation and program amendments. During this time my duties included a 24-hour support function for mainframe batch schedules. I continued to receive specifications for writing and amending programs for the mainframe systems concerned with EPOS, EFTPOS, Store Ordering, Catalogues and many other applications.
In July 1992, I became part of the Online Authorisation project team, which developed ASDA’s online authorisation facility for EFTPOS. This involved testing new releases of IBM 4680 and CONNEX software. My responsibilities included redesigning, rewriting and testing the mainframe Card Parameter File Maintenance system using the code generator TELON.
During this time I gave training in using TELON COBOL, and CICS DEBUG-AID for testing TELON COBOL CICS transactions. My final contribution to the project was EPOS till testing to ensure that facilities such as online authorisation, and cashback were operating successfully.
The company restructured the IT department in 1994, and consequently I became part of the Stores Systems team as a Systems Developer, where I continued to work for the remainder of my employment at ASDA. The role necessitated an awareness of the relationship between IT and business requirements, and I volunteered to represent my team by giving a presentation on the subject of IT and business problems to the entire ASDA IT department, in a lecture theatre at Leeds University.
I resigned in January 1996.

Documentation
I used Lotus Smartsuite software, to produce program design and testing documentation.

Technical Support
I was supplied with an IBM 486 portable PC to gain access the mainframes via a Novell client/server network. The addition of a modem allowed me to provide home support in my callout role, for approximately 2 years.

Training
I attended a BIS Structured Programming course in London, in 1989.
In 1991, I received in-house training from Pansophic Software, in TELON, an application development system.
In 1994, I received in-house training in Lotus Smartsuite software for use on the PC, including AMI-PRO and Lotus 123.
In July 1995, I completed the following in-house courses, with certification:
CA-User Interfaces for CA-Windows4GL Developers
CA-INGRES/SQL