Systems Analyst & Software as a Service (SaaS)

Aren't we all solution architects? So far, so good:

in bold text = apps utilized

in blue text = skill sets

👉 It all started in college, where I built a "route manager" system to help get our trucks where they needed to be, with the right ticket, equipment, and account specifications. 🚚

👉 An early adopter of Basecamp to manage music video and commercial production ranging from 2-8 weeks. 🎸

👉 An early adopter of Smartsheet...because Google Sheets hadn't been invented yet! Early versions had no calendar or dashboard integration and were a bit crude or not mature.

👉 Built a Filemaker Pro database to handle standard production information we could utilize again and again - without transposing a phone number - something one only realizes when they're in the middle of a desert with an emergency call to make. Yeah, this was before cell phones. Not sure how we kept it all together, but we did. You name it, we tracked it.

👉 Built a complex project portfolio using FastTrack Schedule, handling scheduling for a dozen technicians across 5 areas of a post-production studio, such as graphics, editing, retouching, and mastering. One of the biggest challenges was keeping track of different printing specs for each project - packaging, posters, mailers, you name it - but those details became easy to store and retrieve with database thinking. Tracking video specifications with client details was important too. Along with the Active Collaboration work ticket system, the post-production studio stayed on time and on track with dozens of deliverables per month. You name it, we tracked it.

👉 Adapted Asana for Princess Cruises, primarily for its expert calendar view, which handled the scheduling and project info for dozens of projects per month, across 7 designers, and with very detailed info to get the designer started: account/client specifications, templates, methods, version control, notes, etc. You name it, we tracked it.

👉 Adapted Google Analytics for PMI-LA website tracking and social reach KPI.

👉 Adapted SharePoint for PMI-LA, launching sites for 9 teams & over 100 users with essential database and content management features. Created and tracked statistics for a Meetings/Speaker dashboard, as well as PMO projects. Good fun! I love to build databases and content management systems.

👉 Early adopter of Google Sheets as a campaign tracker.

👉 Developed CoSchedule for social media tracking across 10-15 campaigns per month and 6 strategists. Early research showed it outperformed Hootsuite, and it ended up working well for the PMI-LA social team.

👉 Worked with SurveyMonkey, crafting post-webinar surveys to glean best practices and connect with our audience.

👉 Set up Zapier Agents to find published content - such as blog posts - and identify an idea for the next piece to publish (social platform, blog, video) based on trends and objectives. Also, set up this process and tested it with AirTable, which didn't go as well.

👉 Due to poor performance, we had to give up entirely on a script breakdown app called Movie Magic and quickly transition to ProductionMinds. The new app not only expertly broke down the script but also featured custom reports such as Day out of Days, Stripboards, Call Sheets, Scene breakdowns with camera equipment and art/props needed, and a Shoot Schedule - all with a few clicks. Back in the ancient days of 2017, these features were extraordinary! Eventually, the app was snapped up by a big studio in Europe and no longer offered to the public. But we got through our film shoot relatively unscathed. Today, there are so many choices for script automation, but a word of caution - upfront analysis and reviews are still crucial to choosing the right app for the right project.

👉 Last but not least was the pleasure of adapting ClickUp for a web dev company's scheduling needs. Good kanban board, good at-a-glance status understanding, clear risk control, and easy access to the latest project comments and details. What

a great customizable solution - head and shoulders better than Monday. But just as we were testing it for our environment, they rolled out an update that eliminated a simple feature we were counting on. Despite pleas to restore it, we were promptly ignored - despite their prominent marketing as the most "customizable" solution. Still, ClickUp offers more features than most heavy hitters.

👉 Can I end with the one job where the software application was ALREADY set up? 🙏🏽 Learning a JOOMLA backend was eye-opening, and how I got my feet wet with wireframing and content management system updates. Glorious!

LESSONS LEARNED?

• Building in transparency around scheduling, budgeting, logistics and communications. Not to mention basic agility. Come to find out, clarity is precious.

• Obtaining buy-in - and maintaining it - for a new app or content management system.

• KPIs that measure what's most important yet adapt when necessary.

• Focus on value and agility over the number of deliverables or KPI.

• Artificial intelligence, however promising, needs a lot of training and perspective to function the way we want it to.