What I individually did when I was working

Direct contribution.md

Individual accomplishments

Accomplishment story 1

Optimized the database structure to adding features easier

Context of the problem

The system runs for over decade, it has become complicated and unmaintainable by many times of development.

Problem

Since the system was so complicated, even to engineers who have been working in the project. There were some specifications written by the engineers. Through reading the documents for a few days, I realized that there are some similarity of data processing.

Actions I took

It was my first project on work. I enrolled the project from development phase. My first role was coding by following specifications. I discussed with a senior engineer to wrap a part of the legacy system's tables by view & temporary tables to make it simple. I got permission to make the view tables combine several tables into one. The temporary tables work with global transferring queries to update actual tables.

Result I achieved

The senior engineer who I discussed with, he helped me getting agreement from everyone in the project for applying my idea. Then it became an official methodology in the project. It gained work of fixing documents, but reduced tasks in development and testing phase. Also it made new features maintainable.

Other accomplishments

Improved a few user interface design. Acquired work basis. Estimated time to meet the deadline. Understood importance of business communication, such as reporting, informing, and discussing.

Project: Adding features to an old big client server application (2008, 6 months)
Product: Human Resource Management System
Environment: VB6, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, VSS
Number of members: 6-10
My original role: Programming and testing (both front-end and back-end)

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Accomplishment story 2

Analyzed and reported bugs of a Oracle product

Context of the problem

In the project, using the Oracle package was a condition. It was not well documented, and not open source. Only the client I was working with was allowed to ask Oracle questions.

Problem

The package behaved strangely, though nobody hasn't figured out.

Actions I took

I figured out by analyzing bunch of stack traces, and reported to the client. Later I found another bug related to the bug which I reported, and those were accepted and fixed by Oracle.

Result I achieved

I got distinguished in the project because Oracle reported to the client that the bug was recognized in other project and what I did helped the project too. Since then I had been asked for debugging by the technical team of our project sometimes.

Accomplishment story 3

Led a sub team and delivered the feature successfully

Context of the problem

In Japan's working style, engineers sometimes have to manage the team.

Problem

I was in a small team at that time, a senior developer who managed the team suddenly had to leave the team because of personal reason.

Actions I took

I led the team practically even though I had the shortest career in that team. I developed and tested the program as usual. Additionally, estimated schedule, reported progress, managed issues, and mentored junior developers.

Result I achieved

Working hard, with flexibility, efficiency and high responsibility made me esteemed by bosses even though it was my first time to lead a team in work. The feature my small team worked on was the most complicated part in the project, and it was successfully delivered.

Accomplishment story 4

Made format of work to let engineers start working smoothly

Context of the problem

The project needed more engineers because it originally had been in trouble. So number of engineers was increased.

Problem

The engineers who enrolled after I did, didn't know the package and language.

Actions I took

I analyzed what the engineers know in common. Most of them know Java, so I made a document which tells difference and similarity between Java and the project's language, and what is the best practice. I add some troubleshooting tips, including how to handle with frequent problems into the document.

Result I achieved

Those engineers was using the document and they appreciated that. It is still used after 3 years.

Accomplishment story 5

Got known as a reliable engineer

Context of the problem

System needed to be changed because labour law changed. The project needed a hand to lead the technical team. After the system launched, The team became smaller. As it didn't need to be developed. I have left the project because I got required by another project.

Problem

There were only a few engineers remained only for maintaining the system. Although the team got needed to change the system because labour law changed. I got called back to help the project as a technical leader.

Actions I took

I made documents what I have done and some tips for the engineer who would take over my position in the project I was working at. Within a week, I came back to this project.

Result I achieved

I moved project without leaving any problem. I received one email from an engineer who took over my position, said the documentation was helpful. According to my manager, this offer was actually by the client. They required me to be in this project.

Other accomplishments

Negotiating with the client. Communicating with several teams. Distributed the service. Taught usage to end users as an instructor. Analyzed and fixed both technical and specifications' problems.

Project: Developing and customizing a web application (2009-2010, 17 months + 3 months)
Product: Human Resource Management System
Environment: Oracle DB, PL/SQL, PeopleSoft, PeopleCode, Java, MS-DOS Commands, SVN, Cybozu(Collaboration tool)
Number of members: 40-50 in a team, 14 teams including other companies and the client
My original role: Programming and testing (back-end)

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Accomplishment story 6

Worked as a true polyglot

Context of the problem

There was a ongoing project and each team used different development environment; a team uses perl, another uses C++ and bash, or Java.

Problem

Each team needed a hand, though the project could not hire more engineers.

Actions I took

I completed my task, and helped each team. I was not afraid the language difference because I was sure that I can learn it quickly. I taught myself those languages in a few weeks, then worked for those teams.

Result I achieved

I contributed to those teams, developed and met the deadlines.

Project: Developing a system (2010-2011, 13 months)
Product: Electronic Data Interchange System
Environment: Oracle DB, perl, C++, bash, CentOS on VMware, Vim, Tomcat, Java on Seaser2(JSP framework supports Dependency Injection, Aspect Oriented Programming), Eclipse, SVN
Number of members: 40-50
My original role: Programming, testing (both back-end and front-end)

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Accomplishment story 7

Led the technical side of the project

Context of the problem

This project started researching phase. Most of senior engineers working there were specified for analyzing the system written in COBOL.

Problem

Each engineer has own speciality. There were nobody who is able to design modern software.

Actions I took

I collected the current system's information which seniors analyzed, and made the relational database model. At the same time, a team which was discussed with clients about user needs and interface with mockup design.

Result I achieved

I combined those and designed a simple object oriented framework in half a month. Also I led the development team.

Accomplishment story 8

Made a data exchange module

Context of the problem

There is a third party additional package that the client want to use, even though it wouldn't fit to client's needs.

Problem

The client strongly wants to use the package by political reason.

Actions I took

The package provides some APIs. I researched the possibility of the APIs, and required to the provider to add a few APIs. Then architected and built the unexpected middle service which exchanges data to wrap the package in a few weeks. Without changing the user interface.

Result I achieved

The package was successfully integrated in the project. The client was satisfied by using the package.

Project: System replacement (2011-2013, 20 months)
Product: Customer Relationship Management System
Environment: Oracle DB, C#, Microsoft IIS, MS-DOS Commands, SVN, and domestic packages
Number of members: 40-50
My original role: Architecting and leading an object oriented application framework specified the project, designing relational database structure, leading a front-end development team, negotiating with clients

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Accomplishment story 9

Led website renewal

Context of the problem

My friend works a digital media company in Vancouver. He was working on the project using Wordpress.

Problem

The project has been under construction for one month, though the progress was being late. The project wasn't managed well.

Actions I took

Let them to make a task list, issue list and question list on Google Drive. Shared the tasks, solved the issues/questions. Also made a test list and report form which let employees who doesn't know web development in the company to cooperate testing. Coded plugins, responsive CSS example. Hacked Wordpress to invoke a plugin automatically. Managed migration process.

Result I achieved

Managed the project, cleaned the chaos away and led to let the job to be done.

Project: Website renewal (2015, 1 month)
Product: Wordpress
Environment: PHP, mySQL, Wordpress, HTML, CSS, Javascript, jQuery, Apache, Git, bash
Number of members: 1-4
My original role: Problem solving (remote work)