Dirk Manuel - Résumé
Dirk S. Manuel
Texas, USA
Tel: +1 281 685 3527
E-mail: Dirk@TechnicalAuthoring.com
Education
| Degree | B.Sc. (Hons.) 2.1 degree in Computer Science from Portsmouth Polytechnic (now Portsmouth University). This was a four-year course, which included one-year of industrial placement. |
| Professional qualifications | City & Guilds 5360
- Communication of Technical Information:
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| Professional affiliations | Fellow of the
Institute of Scientific and Technical
Communication Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication |
| 'A' Levels | English, Computer Science and Economics. |
| '0' Levels | Math(s), English Language, English Literature, Computer Science (AO), Geography, Physics, German, Technical Drawing, Woodwork, General Studies (AO). |
Employers
| April 2008 to Present |
Documentation Consultant at ExxonMobil Global Services Company (contracted through RCG Information Technology), based in Houston, Texas. I am responsible for the development and deployment of training material and user documentation for a global implementation of SAP. I am also responsible for the maintenance and continuous improvement of the project's Website, which is the primary point of information (including documentation and training material) for all of the users of the system delivered by the project. |
| February 2007 to March 2008 | Documentation Consultant at ExxonMobil Petroleum and Chemical (contracted through RCG Information Technology), based in Houston, Texas. I am responsible for ongoing maintenance and continuous improvement of documentation and training programmes for a global implementation of SAP Retail. I have developed a steady-state Change Management process, covering all stages of system change, from design to implementation. I am currently designing and implementing a new Knowledge Management system for use by system users globally. |
| January 2005 to January 2007 | Documentation Consultant at ExxonMobil Petroleum and Chemical (contracted through ITECS NV), based in Belgium. I am the Documentation and Training Lead on a global implementation of SAP Retail. I am responsible for writing, editing, and publishing user documentation, and managing the development and delivery of training courses. As a part of the Change Management team, my responsibilities also include gap analyses, readiness assessments, and organizational design. Additional responsibilities include managing a team of content developers (writers and training developers), facilitating process (re)design workshops, and delivering training courses to users internationally. |
| March 2001 to December 2004 | Documentation Consultant at ExxonMobil Chemical Global Services (contracted through RCG Information Technology), based in Houston, Texas, in America. I was responsible for writing and publishing user documentation and training courses for a global implementation of the SAP R/3, APO, and BW systems. Additional responsibilities included managing a team of content developers (writers and training developers), configuration, implementation, and first-level support for the SAP Knowledge Warehouse, and development and administration of the project Website. |
| March 1998 to February 2001 | Documentation Consultant at ExxonMobil Chemical Asia Pacific (contracted through Campbell & Associates), based in Singapore. On this contract, I was responsible for writing and publishing user procedures for a regional implementation of the SAP R/3 and APO systems. Additional responsibilities included the development of data collection forms, and the design and implementation of all output documents (such as invoices and purchase orders). |
| April 1994 to February 1998 | Documentation Consultant at Exxon Chemical Europe (contracted through TMS Technical Authors), based in Brussels, Belgium. On this contract, I was responsible for writing and publishing user documentation for a regional implementation of the SAP/R2 system. |
| December 1993 to March 1994 | Technical Author at Prudential Assurance. For this contract, I produced help files for IBM mainframe based finance systems. |
| November 1993 | Technical Author at Reuters. This short contract was a pilot project to produce an on-line Windows help facility for the construction of financial instrument codes. |
| January 1993 to October 1993 | Technical Author at DHL Systems Ltd.. This contract involved the production of technical documentation for Unix-based control applications. |
| August 1988 to August 1992 | Analyst Programmer at IBM (UK) Ltd.. Although employed primarily as an Analyst/Programmer, the majority of my work comprised of producing documentation for real-time network security applications running on an IBM mainframe architecture. This job included a four-month assignment to IBM Germany. |
| July 1986 to October 1987 | Industrial Trainee at IBM (UK) Ltd.. This job was undertaken as a part of my degree course, and involved various programming work. |
Work Experience
Publications Management
- Managed documentation projects from conception to completion, across multiple development teams. This included scoping, estimating, planning, resourcing, monitoring progress, and ensuring delivery of quality documentation on-time and within budget. (ExxonMobil 1998-2001, ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007)
- Managed, mentored, and reviewed and edited the work of a team of up to 12 content developers. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007)
- Developed in-house publication styles and standards, now used worldwide throughout the Corporation, and ensured adherence to these standards on the project. (ExxonMobil 1998-2001, ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007)
- Developed user document and training course templates and style guides for use by the content developers. (ExxonMobil 1998-2001, ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007)
- Defined, documented, and implemented the documentation change management process. (ExxonMobil 1998-2001, ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007)
Change Management and Organization Design
- Assisted in the definition of user roles for the global implementation of an SAP-based ERP system, ensuring necessary controls and segregation of duties were in place. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004)
- Documented a global organization model, wrote detailed job specifications for each position, and mapped positions to roles. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004)
- Mapped SAP transactions and user documentation to defined roles, and developed a role-based training curriculum (ExxonMobil, 2001-2004). (ExxonMobil 2001-2004)
User Documentation
- Wrote all process documents for a global corporation. Facilitated business process redesign sessions and gap analysis workshops. (Exxon 1994-1998, ExxonMobil 1998-2001, ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007)
- Wrote or edited over 4,000 user procedures over a period of 12 years. (Exxon 1994-1998, ExxonMobil 1998-2001, ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007).
- Devised and developed quick reference guides, white papers, job aids, and other supporting materials as required by users. (Exxon 1994-1998, ExxonMobil 1998-2001, ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007)
- Wrote the complete product documentation set (including General Information Manuals, Installation Manuals, Operating Instructions and User Guides) for internal and commercial Network Security Management Systems, to British Standard BS5750 and International Standard ISO9000. (IBM 1988-1992)
System Documentation
- Wrote detailed Program Specification Documents and Technical Reference Manuals for Network Security Management Systems. (IBM 1988-1992)
- Wrote Technical Reference documentation for a UNIX-based Shipment Control System. (DHL 1993)
Information Design
- Designed the layout of business reports to maximize their usefulness and ease of understanding for the users. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004)
- Designed and developed all commercial documents (Invoices, Purchase Orders, Delivery Notes, etc.) for a multinational company. (ExxonMobil 1998-2001)
- Designed and developed internal data collection forms and user request forms. (ExxonMobil 1998-2001)
Internet Development
- Designed and built a project Intranet website and wrote most of the content of this website (ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2008).
- Published and maintained an Internet website consisting of several hundred inter-linked HTML pages. Website was reviewed favorably in a national magazine. (1996-2000)
Training Material
- Developed and presented end user and project team training courses. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004, ExxonMobil 2005-2007, ExxonMobil 2008).
- Edited and performed quality assurance for an entire user training curriculum for over 1,000 users across multiple countries (ExxonMobil 1998-2001).
- Piloted the use of Macromedia Flash for on-line course delivery. Investigated e-learning requirements, including the SCORM specification. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004).
On-line Help Systems
- Converted existing documentation for financial instruments into a Windows Help application. This documentation was produced using the Doc-To-Help package, and included hyperlinked graphics and context-sensitive help. (Reuters 1993)
- Developed on-line help (Operations Manuals and Systems Manuals used by technical support personnel) for IBM mainframe based applications. (Prudential 1993-1994)
- Developed a comprehensive context-sensitive on-line Windows Help application for Windows-based applications. (Exxon 1994-1998)
- Implemented and maintained a system for converting existing HTML documentation into a suite of Windows HTML Help files. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004).
SAP Knowledge Warehouse
- Investigated, implemented, configured, and supported a global implementation of the SAP Knowledge Warehouse. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004)
- Provided first-level support to the content developers and end users. Worked closely with SAP AG System Support to identify problems and implement solutions. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004)
- Designed the architecture of the Knowledge Warehouse, provided information design, developed access mechanisms, and designed and configured the user interface. (ExxonMobil 2001-2004)
Desk-Top Publishing
- Worked as the editor of a local magazine in Southern England. This included writing the majority of the articles, designing the page layout, producing any required graphics, and printing camera-ready copy for delivery to the commercial printers. (1994-2000)
Commercial Writing
- Regular contributor of articles for a professional publication (The Communicator, the magazine of the ISTC) and peer-review articles for the same magazine. (Ongoing)
- Wrote articles that have been published in specialist magazines and trade publications worldwide. (Ongoing)
Skill Summary
- Microsoft Office (XP): Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access.
- HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, JavaScript, PERL, PHP.
- Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia Dreamweaver, SoftQuad HoTMetaL, Quadralay Webworks.
- Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks, Macromedia Freehand, PaintShop Pro.
- OnDemand, Documentum, Plumtree.
- Corel Draw, Visio, ABC Flowcharter.
- SGML, Script, BookMaster.
- Windows Help, HTML Help, RoboHelp, Doc-To-Help.
- Adobe Acrobat, Information Mapping.
- Macromedia Flash, Articulate Presenter.
- SAP R/3, APO, BW (user), SAP Knowledge Warehouse (expert).
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