-
Recent Blog Posts
Testimonials
I worked with Andrew at ICL on a major project using the Serena toolset. He provided a valuable mentor & helped me gain much experience in the CM Arena plus adapting to working in a large project team. I would recommend him for his leadership & ability to motivate but also to encourage & mentor those with less experience which has set me forward to a successfull career in Configuration Management.
— Becky Davis, Configuration Manager, ICL, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/becky-davis/1/85/148Andrew was one of the technical Dimensions gurus at this site, capable of solving even the most difficult issues. No wonder that he was one of the last externals to leave.
— Daniel Dekort, Configuration Management specialist, HMCE, http://www.linkedin.com/in/ddekortI can recommend Andrew highly, his expertise and attention to detail are second to none.
— Clive Watts, CM Consultant, HM Customs & Excise, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/clive-watts/0/89b/178I have no hesitation in recommending Andrew as highly experienced and, equally importantly, a consistently professional and reliable performer. I worked with him for several years and know that since that time he has been continuously engaged as a key figure in IT projects, most of which have found it worthwhile to retain his services well after the original tasks were completed.
— Alex Thomas, OMG CORBA Technical Architect, Fujitsu, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alex-thomas/0/99a/493Andrew has excellent knowledge of Dimensions API interfaces and involved in trigger routine development. He provided considerable amount of technical input to the process and during implementation.
— Guru Prasad, CM Consultant, Abbey National plc, http://www.linkedin.com/in/sguruprasadAndrew is a dedicated, valued and meticulous expert in his field. During my time working with Andrew I found him to be very knowledgeable and helpful . A self starter who achieved all of his goals. Andrew was a great benefit to the team and I would highly recommend him as a colleague and expert in his field of expertise.
— Clive Watts, Configuration Management Consultant, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/clive-watts/0/89b/178Andrew is very smart and relentless in his approach to Configuration Management. He sees the bigger picture and plans for the future, making any project more scalable and adaptable to business or environmental changes.
— Stuart Gadd, Technical Services Specialist, Fujitsu, http://www.fujitsu.com/uk/Andrew is an intelligent, competent and hard-working individual with an exceptional knowledge of his field. He walked onto a site with problems and a backlog, hit the ground running, and pulled it all together again in short order. I would not hesitate to recommend Andrew to anybody requiring a specialist in Change Management or Configuration Management.
— Mike Watson, Service Assurance Manager, Capita Group, http://www.capita.co.uk/Andrew is an expert in Serena/Merant Dimensions and it's relevant support. His in depth knowlegde of Unix, SQL and servers makes him the ideal person to obtain information from. Also Andrew is a team player who wants to succeed and produce a quality "product" for the client.
— Stephen Pindar, IT Consultant, Falconwave Limited, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/stephen-pindar/0/8a6/735As somebody with whom I had worked before, Andrew was recommended without hesitation to Ordnance Survey to fulfil a short, very specific piece of configuration management related work. Andrew performed the work diligently, and delivered to schedule exactly what was required – with a degree of technical flair that facilitated the overall project going forward.
— Mike Thompson, Configuration Management Consulant, Ordnance Survey, http://www.linkedin.com/in/thebfgI had the pleasure of working with Andrew for about 6 months on this assignment; he was the CM Consultant that Ultra had chosen to help us implement our new CM System. He showed a great wealth of knowledge in how the Change management lifecycle flows and how Prince 2 works. It was a pleasure working with Andrew. He was able to answer the CM lifecycle questions I had with grace and ease. He showed professionalism and worked to a high standard through out the entire Project. In summary he has been an asset to the team and I would gladly work with him again.
— Matthew Coxall, Senior Software Engineer, Ultra Electronics Airport Systems, http://www.ultra-as.com/Andrew and I worked closely on a 6-month large project for EDS. Andrew has a great organizational and technical skills, he executed his part of the project smoothly and professionally from the design to delivery. Andrew also has strong client management skills, and he deals with his clients and coworkers with respect and professionalism. . I wish to work with Andrew again on different projects.
— Waddah Abuhigleh, Principal Consultant, IPSH Inc. & CEO Tala Bay Systems, http://www.talabaysystems.com/Andrew performed his consultancy responsibilities within the Configuration Management department (part of the Change Management function) with due diligence, ensuring that any and all process gaps were identified, plugged and properly documented. In the 14 or so months working with Andrew, he always displayed a courteous and professional manner.
— David Beever, ITIL Change Coordinator/Consultant, Fujitsu Services, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/david-beever/a/b31/587Andrew and I worked together on the same team and although at that time I was merely a recent graduate, he was always understanding and willing to share his vast experience in technology. An excellent team player, no doubt.
— Juan Jimenez, Junior Software Engineer, Fujitsu, http://www.fujitsu.com/uk/Andrew has an excellent understanding of configuration and change management. In my role of Engineering Director I needed somebody with a deep and sound knowledge of the fundamental aspects. I selected Andrew because his knowledge coupled with his practical experience of Dimensions gave me a level of confidence that my improvement programme around Configuration Control and Change Management would be successful. Even though Andrew did not have any direct experience of the tool set chosen “TeamTrack” he quickly learnt this and brought his wealth of experience to ensure the success of this initiative. I would highly recommend Andrew. To put it simply if you have configuration control or change management issues and you want a guaranteed result look no further than Andrew.
— Paul Owen, Engineering Director, Ultra Electronics Airport Systems Ltd, http://www.ultra-as.comAndrew has proven here his great technical know-how and thoroughness about all aspects of a Dimensions installation: installation, administration, customisation ... up to user training and CM process analysis and implementation.
— Daniel Dekort, Configuration Management specialist, HMCE, http://www.linkedin.com/in/ddekortI worked with Andrew on Abbey National's Configuration Management Programme which was a highly challenging assignment for all those championing the changes. Andrew brought huge technical experience and much needed common sense to the project and made significantl roll-out progress where others had failed.
— Dan Evans, Business Consultant, Abbey, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dan-evans/0/7aa/a57Andrew is a professional, highly motivated and goal oriented individual; equally at home working as part of a team or on his own. His open and friendly personality ensures he gets on well with all colleagues.
— Jonathan Onslow, Data Security Officer, ALSPC, University of Bristol, http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/I worked closely with Andrew, on a project for Borland, he constantly amazed me, at the speed with which he picked up the Delphi language, his knowledge of Serena Dimensions and professionalism.
— Roy Nelson, Senior Support Engineer, Borland, http://www.borland.comAndrew has a broad skill set and experience gained by an initiative to provide solutions that meets the customer requirements. Andrew is industrious and contributes with ideas and enthusiasm to team efforts. I have worked along side him an several projects as well as part of my team at Abbey where he played a valuable role from both the technical and project perspective.
— Peter Green, CM Consultant / Infrastructure Support Technical Team Leader, Fujitsu, http://www.fujitsu.com/uk/I can highly recommend Andrew. He is very knowledgeable in all aspects of Configuration Management. He is very professional and always able and willing to help his colleagues. Andrew has been able to help me with technical problems and process issues on several occasions.
— Jan Kirkby, IT Consultant, Fujitsu, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jan-kirkby/0/915/940A highly motivated and committed Configuration Manager with a record of achievement in all areas of IT. Andrew's highly developed Configuration identification, control, status accounting and authentication skills ensure he is adept at delivering quality results in a busy, high-pressured environment. Andrew is able to communicate effectively with people at all levels, comfortable working with technical and non-technical people alike.
— Michael Cox, ATLAS IBU Business Operations Manager & Consultant, Viewmetrics, http://www.viewmetrics.co.ukI have worked with Andrew in two different companies and am constantly impressed with his professionalism, motivation and in-depth knowledge of both Configuration Management and the Serena toolset. I would not hestitate to recommend him for any role but in particular those of a senior nature where CM is to be implemented in complex and technical environment in a tight timescale.
— Becky Davis, Configuration Manager, Retelligence, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/becky-davis/1/85/148I had the pleasure of working with Andrew at Abbey, while setting up the Configuration Management BaU function within the IT Division. Andrew proved himself to be a knowledgable, reliable and trustworthy professional, who delivered at all times; I have no hesitataion in recommending him and certaimly would consider him for anything relevant.
— David Kite, Contract Manager, Abbey National, http://www.abbey.co.ukI interviwed Andrew for a position as Dimensions implementation specialist at Abbey National. Andrew came across well in the interview and during his period at Abbey National, he did not fail to deliver. He became an important, reliable, steady member of the team.
— Brian Toner, Configuration Management Process/Tools training, Abbey National, http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonerprofileAndrew was brought in to fill some gaps in our configuration management process and did a fine job in documenting a complete and rounded configuration management process. I recommend Andrew for any configuration management work that you might need.
— John McNeilly, Service Delivery Manager, Fujitsu Services, http://www.fujitsu.com/uk/During the period I worked with Andrew I found him to be a very thorough, knowledgeable and dedicated person. His approach to work was very detailed and precise. And he demonstrated considerable initiative and drive in his approach to work.
— Preethi Gunasekara, Project Manager, Fujitsu, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/preethi-gunasekara/0/906/8bbAndrew came into the organisation at a challenging time but quickly established a project plan and impressed with his professional approach. He was methodical and thorough yet able to adapt according to priorities. It was a pleasure working with Andrew and I would do so again without hesitation.
— Amanda Carmichael, Deputy Executive Director, University of Bristol, http://www.bristol.ac.uk/Andrew was the consummate professional, and on those occasions where our work overlapped I valued his creativity, drive and commitment.
— Ken Haylock, Business Objects Specialist, Fujitsu, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ken-haylock/0/89a/1I can sum up my feelings in four words: I TRUST this man!
— Jean Paul, Configuration Management Consultant, Westmalyn Developments Ltd, http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=2124413&trk=tab_pro#recommendationsAndrew demonstrated excellent technical competence and knowledge about Dimensions. He conveyed, in a clear and concise manner, the relevant Configuration Management and business processes, and devised and presented a number of well received training programmes. His personality and persistence combined to ensure that he was able to convince even the most reluctant converts of 'the message'.
— Claire Millins, Project Co-ordinator (RAID), Abbey National, http://www.cloudybayservices.co.uk/Andrew and I worked together for a year or so, and have maintained contact since. I found him to be extremely thorough and precise in his work, as well as a quick study, a fact best demonstrated by his progress in new areas of the field in the last 5 years. Unfortunately, Andrew and I have had no opportunity to work together since, but I look forward to the chance.
— Jean Paul, PVCS Consultant, Fujitsu, http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=2124413&trk=tab_pro#recommendationsI've worked with Andrew for a number of years at was then ICL. His attitude to work very professional and is always approachable and willing to offer helpful advice. He draws on his technical knowledge and experiencs during the implementation and running of the CM system we worked on. I would definitely recommend working with Andrew.
— Michael To, Configuration Management Manager, Fujitsu, http://www.fujitsu.com/uk/Andrew worked on a high profile global account using his knowledge of Dimensions to help develop a migration utility. Andrew exceeded our expectations in every way, making an outstanding contribution not only in terms of his technical knowledge and experience, but with his 100% commitment to the project. Andrew quickly became a valued colleague and was a pleasure to work with.
— Brian Whitfield, UK Pre-Sales Manager, Borland, http://www.borland.comAndrew's technical skills in CM are outstanding, he is a good team player and his attention to detail is second to none. He would be am asset to any team.
— Clive Watts, Senior Support Consultant, Merant Plc, http://www.serena.com/I have worked with Andrew previously in two other assignments. It was a pleasure working with him in this assignment and I would do so again without hesitation. In RBS Insurance [Direct Line Group], I worked with him in developing a service transition framework specifying handover process, gateways ensuring BAU operations understand service requirements and they are prepared to receive new services. His methodical and thorough approach helped us defining processes, templates and getting acceptance from various stakeholders.
— Guru Prasad, Process Analyst, RBS Insurance, http://www.directline.comI found Andrew extremely professional and trustworthy. He knows the things he talks about and if he does not know something he will say so and go out of his way trying to find a workaround or solution. I would have no hesitation working with Andrew again.
— Arend Westdrop, Consultant, Borland, http://www.borland.comAndrew undertook the work in a professional and thorough manner. He was able to quickly adapt and become operational with the tools which he was not familiar with at the time. He was effective immediately. Andrew is able to draw on a wide range of experiences which allows him to quickly place tasks in a correct context, therefore delivering accurately.
— Brian Toner, Configuration Management Consultant and Change Manager, Capita IT, http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonerprofileDuring his tenure at Direct Line Group, Andrew was instrumental in defining and implementing the process for Service Transition of Configuration Management services into BAU Operations. I would highly recommend him and he would be real asset to any organisation he wishes to engage. I wish him all the best.
— Shankar Narayan, Configuration and Release Strategy Manager, Direct Line Group, http://www.linkedin.com/in/ramkrinarAndrew has had a tremendous impact on our department. He was able to effectively project manage the implementation of standard procedures across the department. This was a difficult task in a technical environment. Andrew’s ability to motivate and support members of staff meant he was able to do a difficult job in a friendly way, by applying his unique brand of energy and focus.
— Philip Lobb, Bioinformatics Programmer, ALSPAC Research - University of Bristol, http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/I engaged Andrew to work at ALSPAC (University of Bristol) where he was responsible for the collection of information and creation of SOPs. I found Andrew to be extremely easy to work with and more importantly driven to meet his goals. I have no hesitation in recommending Andrew to any future contact and wish him every success in the future.
— Anthony Phillips, Head of Data management (ALSPAC), http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/Andrew has an outstanding technical capability and wealth of knowledge both in CM best practises and process design. His contribution to the CM process was very significant. Repeatability of his java script utilities helped us to setup product quickly during prototyping and user testing. Technical expertise combined with exceptional understanding of methodologies like ITIL makes him unique.
— Guru Prasad, Configuration Manager, Retelligence, http://www.linkedin.com/in/sguruprasadAs a director of several companies, Andrew shows great entrepreneurial flair and has put well defined processes in place to keep his businesses running smoothly in his absence and without his continual intervention.
— Claire Millins, Cloudy Bay Services Ltd, http://www.cloudybayservices.co.ukAndrew has a deep understanding of configuration management. I understand that he is a major authority on Serena Dimensions – and have heard others within the industry confirm that – but for my company he learnt and did excellent work on Serena’s TeamTrack workflow tool. He’s been professional, reliable and good to work with throughout the project and I would highly recommend him to another company wanting specialist work in this area.
— Gary Hawkins, Software Projects Manager, Ultra Electronics Airport Systems Ltd, http://www.ultra-as.com"Andrew has been very exact in his approach to the tasks he has worked on for Ordnance Survey providing key insight into the risks involved with our move to new premises. I would recommend him as a CM Consultant as he also brought a wide range of experience with him which he applied well."
— Karl Harrison, Configuration Controller, Ordnance Survey, http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.ukAndrew was a very integral part of my Cofiguration Management Team. He is very methodical, accurate and reliable. Once the job has been defined, I always considered it done or escalated at appropriate moments if Andrew envisaged any risks. Andrew is very much a team player and contributes ideas to obtain best results. I would certainly have Andrew on my Team anytime.
— Paresh Mehta, BT Health Executive Tools Manager, BT Health, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/paresh-mehta/1/26b/31bAndrew worked with ALSPAC during a period of difficult change. His professional and approachable method of work helped to achieve positive results. I would not hesitate to recommend Andrew.
— David Carmichael, ALSPAC Development Manager, University of Bristol, http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/I worked with Andrew for approximately two and a half years. Andrew was very concientious and spent much time efficiently supporting the CM team we worked for. During that time, I gained a lot of useful knowledge from his wealth of experience in the IT industry.
— Rob Smith, Technical Consultant/Developer, Fujitsu, http://www.mint-solutions.co.uk/Andrew is a self motivated individual who has a thorough technical knowledge of Dimensions and CM processes and best practice.
— Sian Bruty, Configuration Manager, HM Customs & Excise, http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/I worked with Andrew at ICL and I always found him proactive and reliable in all areas of his work.
— John Robinson, Configuration Manager, Fujitsu, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-robinson/10/19b/2a6Andrew combines a thorough understanding of technology with an equally good grasp of Process and an indomitable "can do" attitude...
— Drew Benson, Owner, Pipecrown Limited, Configuration Management Consultant, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/drew-benson/0/803/75bAndrew brought both practical CM and Dimensions skills to the Team which was sorely needed at the time. He helped fill the gaps where the tool and the documentation were found to be lacking. I would not hesitate to recommend him for both his work and commitment.
— Peter Gross, Configuration Management Consultant, Abbey, http://www.abbey.co.ukAndrew was technically very competent and an effective team member in all respects. I would not hesitate to work with Andrew again at any time in the future if the opportunity presented itself.
— Phil Jalland, Director, Silwood Limited, http://www.linkedin.com/in/philjallandAndrew's work on this Project was a prime example of how well a contractor can integrate with and improve an in-house team . We found him extremely competent, very dedicated, thoroughly professional and we liked him as well! Can't say enough in praise for the superb job he did, and I think I can speak on behalf of the team that we hope to work with him again as soon as possible!
— Simon Pullen, Consultant, EMEA EDS TAM, Borland, http://www.borland.comAndrew worked for me for two years on a high pressure project in the CM department. His combination of professionalism, hard work and technical skills was a great contribution to the team.
— Simon Lee, Group Configuration Manager, Fujitsu, http://www.linkedin.com/in/simonjamesleeI recommend Andrew very highly. He was always able to deliver quality results, even under the tightest of time-scales
— Alec Hanson, Software Configuration Manager,Fujitsu, http://www.baystyle.co.ukI engaged with Andrew, and his company CM Lifeguard, in 2011 to provide consultancy work, within the Configuration Management field, onsite at RBS Insurance in Croydon. What struck me from our initial conversations was his professionalism and expertise in the CM arena. Andrew is also a friendly and pleasant chap to deal with and I would happily engage with CM Lifeguard and Andrew should the opportunity arise again.
— Richard Brook, Account Manager, Corporate Accounts, Spring Technology, http://www.spring-technology.com
Category Archives: Configuration Management
IT Software Configuration Management a Black Art?
“Configuration Management is a Black Art” or even “Change Management is a Black Art” are things that I sometimes hear on client sites, mostly from the senior management sitting far above the CM team itself. To an experienced Configuration Manager, this statement begs two questions: “Is it true?” and “Does it matter?”
Let’s take a quick look at those questions… Continue reading