Sapient
Public Utility, Consulting
Cambridge, MA    October 1994--October 1995

PowerBuilder, Oracle, SQL, Visual Basic, SQLWindows

Sapient Corporation is a systems integration consulting firm primarily handling client/server solutions for Fortune 500 companies. Founded in 1991, Sapient has achieved startling success and tremendous growth by focusing on client delivery using a fixed time, fixed price approach and an iterative design and development methodology.

November 1994--October 1995

The Gas Service Information Management System project aims to provide an automated dispatching and order entry system for New Jersey's gas service company, PSE&G.

GSIMS comprises two systems:

	Service people out on the field use portable computers, knows as Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs), to receive jobs (knows as orders) they have to perform for the day, complete order information when the job is finished, and fill out time sheet information.
	Dispatchers, situated in home offices throughout New Jersey, use dedicated PC workstations to monitor service queues, assign orders to service personnel, and otherwise maintain the work flow of PSE&G's work load.

On the database end, there are two main systems: PSE&G's legacy CIS mainframe, and the GSIMS Oracle database. A wireless RF network transmits information between the service person's MDT and the central GSIMS database used directly by the dispatchers' workstations. The CIS mainframe is still necessary both as a backup and to interface with the many other computer systems at PSE&G which have not been updated to a client/server model.

The GSIMS software is written in PowerBuilder, for both the MDT and the dispatch workstation. While the central database is Oracle, the MDTs maintain a small, local Watcom database that is updated (and sends updates) via RF. This local database is necessary to reduce the costs of RF bandwidth and for improved performance on both the MDT and the receiving Oracle database.

November 1994--January 1995

The Business Design is an intense workshop with the clients where the business needs are detailed, and Sapient faciliatates the client in choosing the best technical solution. This Business Design focused on the MTIM (Materials and Truck Inventory Management) portion of GSIMS. Primary responsibilities during the Design included:

	Working directly with the client in Sapient-facilitated sessions
	Creating PowerPoint presentations to summarize session outcomes
	Writing Visual Basic prototypes illustrating desired functionality

Note that these sessions primarily exercise client interaction skills. Technical skills are essential; summary presentations are created "on the fly" while the sessions are taking place, and are shown to the rest of the group immediately afterward, and prototypes must usually be completed within a couple of hours at the end of the day. But the key to a successful workshop is understanding the client's needs first, and using technology to communicate those needs second.

February 1995--October 1995
July through October spent at client site in Springfield, New Jersey

The development cycle at Sapient is highly iterative, with a continuous client feedback cycle where screens are taken from the prototype level and are increasingly refined and enhanced with client approval.

GSIMS was implemented using PowerBuilder, interacting with two relational databases: a local Watcom database on the MDT, and a central Oracle database on an HP UNIX system. Responsibilities included:

	Iteratively designing and modifying screens with the client
	Working with the client on designing entire business subprocesses essential to the overall GSIMS functionality
	Implementing all of the above specifications in PowerBuilder and SQL
	Overseeing the testing phase of the above, including working with the client on test scripts, fixing bugs, and supervising the testing process
	Primary responsibility for the entire reporting portion of MTIM/GSIMS, including design, test, and client approval

Again, note the heavy client interaction even in the midst of development. Development was actually on the client premises, and the clients were constantly involved throughout the entire process. This methodology forced a much more business and client centric approach to the technical solution.

October 1994--November 1994

The Sales Tracking and Account Record-keeping System uses an Oracle database to manage sales accounts, account portfolios, and compensation information for sales personnel. Participation in the project was during the Technical Design phase, which involves a first pass at overall design after client business needs have been determined. Primarily responsible for the following:

	Coding standards for the development team
	Research and proposal for automated testing of end product
	Design and initial "first pass" implementation of security module

The STARS system was written using SQLWindows, using the Building Blocks class library, for which a one week training course was required.