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Hi, I'm Joe.

I am Data Nerd...Develeoper & so much more.

Data Matters

Data is how organizations go from average to excellent. It matters a ton. Organizations that use data increase revenues and lower expenses generating more profits. It doesn't happen by accident. It takes intentionality.

What I do is to ensure that people have the right data at the right time at the right destination in the right format..

Core Capabilities

These are my core capabilities.

Data Architecture

  • Governance, Standards, Data Quality & Privacy
  • Data Modeling
  • Data Pipelines & ETL
  • Data cleaning & enrichment
  • Master Data & Data integration

Custom Development

  • Custom databases & ERP applications
  • Website development
  • E-commerce
  • Automation programs
  • Database design, optimization and scalability

Cloud Computing

  • Infrastructure management, DNS & custom email
  • SaaS application management
  • User Authentication using RBAC & 2FA
  • Password Management Systems
  • Data backup, VPN, anti-virus, internet filtering

These are the definitions of the acronyms I used: RBAC means Role Based Access Controls, 2FA means Two-Factor Authentication, ETL means Extract Transform Load, SaaS means Software As A Service, VPN means Virtual Private Network, DNS means Domain Name System, ERP means Enterprise Resource Planning.

My Story

I was formally educated in Urban Planning and switched to technology early on. I have a cross-functional skill set which includes the disciplines of Data Architecture, Data Engineering , Software Engineering and Data Analysis. I have now been working with data for 20 years and writing code for 12 doing more than 80 projects along the way.

I am Certified Data Management Professional and believe data done right can make the difference in any organization.

Focus Area

My focus area is in Data Architecture and Data Engineering. Data is like building a city and this helps me because I am a former city planner.

In the world of city planning there is concept called a Master Planned Community that mixes uses including residential, commercial and recreational. It is large-scale, self contained and comprehensive.

It reminds me very much of Data Architecture. In this world you have to do strategic planning that is comprehensive and affects the entire organization and how it operates. And many systems effect others and need to be integrated together to serve the customer well.

This is why the Data Management process is important. It ensures that good planning happens.

Data Management

I believe in the value of Data Quality and Data Standards and the entire data management process.

My quick summarization of the process includes 3 phases.

  • Data Architecture & Strategy sets standards and rules for data use.
  • Data Engineering uses those standard to build a robust infrastructure.
  • Robust infrastructure enables the building of technology products that are easy to use for the end user.

I have seen time and again that when these steps are skipped, organizations encounter Data Problems.

Common Data Problems

I see the same data problems repeatedly. Fortunately, there is a solution to all of them.

  • Spreadsheets don't scale and don't enforce data integrity.
  • Messy data. Worst I've seen is 22 versions of the same term.
  • Inappropriate access controls.
  • Insufficient data security & privacy.
  • Disconnected systems aka data silos.
  • No strategy. Organizations are winging it and it shows.

The solution is a unified Data Platform that is based on quality Data Architecture and Engineering.

Data Platform

I am most interested in Data Architecture and Engineering and what I am most interested in building is a comprehensive Data Platform that involves:

  • Data quality based on standards
  • Data model that supports the business
  • Centralized storage and Master Data
  • Scalable infrastructure
  • Data pipelines & ETL that enables integration
  • Automated data cleaning & enrichment
  • Data security involving data privacy, role based access controls and encryption of sensitive data
  • Data products that are easy to use
  • Automated & self-service reporting

Portfolio

For the last many years I primarily built SaaS style ERP applications that streamline business operations and the data infrastructure that powers them.

They are delivered through a private cloud and use a common database for shared information, aka Master Data. They are integrated using a hub-and-spoke model and have multiple modules, each with its own focus. This is similar to the illustration.

The data infrastructure used a variety of data pipelines using ETL to extract data from a myriad of sources and deliver the data to the proper destination. Automated cleaning scripts were applied to ensure the data met quality standards.