Project: Extensions for the school office of a city

Since the warehouse manager is now hosted (the database is in a data center), extensive changes had to be made in the database.

Because a local network installation can largely ignore performance issues, it's very different when the SQL Server is installed in a remote data center.

In particular, I worked extensively on the following points:

• Checking if the required indexes are set correctly (especially on FK tables)
• Running queries explicitly (naming fields) instead of using .*
• Reviewing SQL queries in detail
• Breaking the 3-tier architecture for bulk data (no longer object-driven but direct insert SQL)
• No longer populating lists of objects (especially when each object has its own database access routine) but representing these lists as recordsets

The client rated the work as very good. He is satisfied with the performance and stopped looking for a new system.

Extended the ILSE Warehouse Manager with ERP functionality (quotes, orders, purchase orders, incoming/outgoing invoices, dunning letters) for an organic food manufacturer.

Extended the software to meet the requirements of the food industry (best-before dates, batch tracking, supplier control, returnable packaging management, etc.) for an organic food manufacturer.

Development, database extensions, project management (2 other developers were involved).

Extended the ILSE Warehouse Manager with inventory management functionality (quotes, orders, purchase orders, incoming/outgoing invoices, dunning).

The second part was extending the software to meet the requirements of the food industry (best-before dates; batches, supplier control, empty container management, etc.).

Development, database extensions, project management (two other developers were involved).

In April 2006, Mr. Popp approached me to see if I was interested in buying his company. He developed software for industrial scale integration and tire storage software.

After a long evaluation phase, I decided, through my then-company (implements GmbH), to take over the business.

Since then, we have been on the market with the following products (my main focus is on the ILSE Warehouse Manager):

• ILSE Wheel Manager
• ILSE Warehouse Manager

My general tasks are:

• Further development of the standard software (VB6, VB.net, MS SQL Server (from simple queries to complex stored procedures))
• List & Label for report design
• SQLite for the development of the software that runs on mobile devices
• Sales
• Close customer contact
• Developing concepts and discussing them with customers
• Continuously finding creative solutions to meet customer requirements.

Customer contact and software development are equally important tasks. Depending on requirements, I also create concepts. Meanwhile, I have started creating concepts even for internal extensions.

In software development, besides a self-explanatory user interface, database structure is crucial. The ILSE Warehouse Manager uses about 50 tables, all built on the same principle. The record ID is a GUID that identifies each record. Naming, internal management fields (when the record was created, by whom, and when the last change was made) also follow a naming syntax.

Another very important point is SQL queries: complex queries are offloaded to stored procedures or functions. These can become very extensive. The advantage is that these database-side logics can also be used by mobile devices (scanners), for example.

Project performance depends on a well-structured and designed database (e.g., don't forget indexes).

The ILSE Warehouse Manager is mainly used by small and medium-sized companies. Notably, Framatome uses the Warehouse Manager at two sites.

On the other hand, two food manufacturers use our software. All customizations are integrated so that updateability is maintained.

Completing software for an ERP system.

An ERP provider went bankrupt. Our task was to finish the software, fix bugs, and then expand the software with new modules.

Project size:

• 586 forms, 300 tables in the database – no documentation

The activities only partly covered programming. Another focus was creating the functional specification and documentation.

Software: VB 6.0, VB.net, ADO, ADO.net, MS SQL Server 7/2000, caseStudio (Charonware), Document!X (innovasis)

Development of a time tracking software.

The product now runs successfully in several companies. Project management and coordination, partly self-developed, UI and database design (05/2002 - 06/2003 full-time).

Great care was taken to create a "clean" class design that allows the application to run as a 3-tier application.

Software: Delphi 6.0, Interbase 6.0.1, Star Designer, IB Expert

• Evaluated installation options for Siebel (99.5).
• Connected Siebel as an OLE server to Visual Basic programs.
• Installed the different Siebel clients (Thin Client, Remote Client, Tools).

Software: Siebel 99.5 Server, Siebel Tools, VB 6.0

Fund management system.

• Design and implementation of change requests from the specialist departments to the system.

Tasks:

• Design
• Programming

Software: Clipper 5.2e, Novell/ WinNT 4.0

Class modeling and tool development.

• Various VB classes needed for integrating VB code into the marketing software (SAM by Siebel Inc.).
• Also, a tool was needed to read data from a CD and load it into the Oracle DB.

Tasks:

• Design
• Implementation
• Testing
• Documentation

Software: Siebel Automation Marketing (SAM), Oracle, MS-Access97, VB 5.0, PL/SQL, Excel VBA