Simon Rumble

AAPT, Sydney (September 2006-August 2009)

This contract began as a content manager, loading content into the new public web sites of a major business transformation project, Hyperbaric. Along the way I discovered ways to make tweaks to the CMS platform and work around problems to help us make the launch. Following the launch the contract was extended and I dove further into the integration of the various customer-facing web systems, performing bug triage and business analysis of solutions to business problems and working with the external supplier to deliver new functionality and bug fixes.

Working as the link between the technology and marketing areas, I produced and developed AAPT's various customer-facing sites across a range of CMS platforms. I integrated multiple back-end and third-party systems into the single user interface.

Implementation and operation of analytics tools WebTrends, Omniture and Google Analytics to inform marketing activity, advertising spending and customer retention. Introduction of A/B testing systems to optimise landing pages.

In 2009 I produced a new Drupal-based site with new design and architecture, integrated into twelve back-end systems. My task was to manage design, testing, content loading, integration, network changes and internal change control processes to get the site live on-time and on-budget. The new site simplified the sales checkout process from 15 steps to 5 and improved conversion 350% with a 30% lift in overall sales.

Systems I managed and integrated at AAPT include:

• Customer Self Care (100,000 logins/month)
  Logged-in customer area with where users view and pay bills, see current usage, lodge and review enquiries and manage their services. Improvements included implementing a JSON web service-driven dashboard showing current account balance and messages to the customer.
• Launch of new public web site (1.5 million visits/month)
  Migration and launch of new Drupal CMS site, with new branding identity and shopping cart process. Customer checkout simplified from 15 steps to 5 with 350% uplift in conversion and 30% improvement in online sales. Launch involved coordination, planning and testing with every business group in the company and engagement of three different internal change control processes. Site launch was seamlessly completed in March 2009 with no downtime and high levels of satisfaction from customers and business owners.
• Sales optimisation
  Development of enhanced checkout processes with an AJAX shopping cart that enforced specific workflows based on the products purchased. This increased the provisioning rate by forcing customers to qualify their services before buying.
• Google Analytics
Google's web site reporting tool was installed to give quick and easy reporting, covering most of the company's requirements. Ecommerce transactions are reported into the system, as are special items like the results customers receive from tools and form field entries. A/B testing was implemented using Google Website Optimizer for landing page optimisation.
• Omniture
When more detailed reporting was required, we implemented the much more complicated and powerful Omniture reporting system alongside Google Analytics. Full implementation included ecommerce, tool usage, user segmentation (customer/not customer), full shopping cart life cycle and conversion funnels.
• Web screen scraping
Due to a complicated and inflexible back-end systems, some internal tools were very difficult to customise for our purposes. I developed a technique of screen scraping results pages that allowed us to use AJAX user interface techniques that consumed the results of these tools in new and innovative ways. Before this development we'd been constrained by back-end system limitations when enhancing our sales process.
• Site monitoring
Development of automated site, service and server monitoring to ensure compliance with service level agreements from internal and external suppliers and to detect misconfigurations in our complex pricing engine.
• Landing page development and optimisation
I worked with our design agencies to develop the interactive components of landing pages, ensuring customers were offered the appropriate products depending on service available at their location. This involved screen scraping internal applications to gather data and integration into our checkout process. Optimisation was performed through A/B testing of multiple versions to assess response rates with different messaging and creative elements.
• Advertising management
AAPT deals with a number of online advertising and affiliate agencies. I managed the development of reporting interfaces with these agencies and worked with them to diagnose problems of click fraud and dropoff.

Read a case study of some recent work I did for AAPT.

Searchspace (now Fortent), London (June 2005-April 2006)

Senior Technical Author for financial compliance and fraud detection software products using Framemaker. Documentation for print and online help systems and development of automated document production using WebWorks Publisher. Preparation and management for translation.

The most interesting aspect of this job was working for a software development house using the waterfall model to successfully deliver tested, documented products on-time and on-budget. The secret to this seemed to be scrupulous scope management and well-padded estimates.

Avco, Shoreditch, London (June 2001-December 2002)

Consulting and programming of back-end for BBC Web education game. Linux setup and configuration.

Digital Science Limited, Mile End, London (March 2001-September 2001)

GNU/Linux Consultant, specialising in "dot-com" and ISP type companies with network support, management, scripting, maintenance and technical writing.

Consulting clients while at Digital Science:

• Schlumberger: Technical editing and authoring for a new network.
• Acumen Envision: Training in Linux for Independent Publishing.

Australian Consolidated Press Pocketbooks, Sydney (March 2001)

Writing Installing and Running Debian GNU/Linux chapter for third edition of the Linux Pocketbook publication in Australia.

Australian Consolidated Press Pocketbooks, Sydney (August 2000-October 2000)

Writing and editing of Webmasters Pocketbook, a guide to building a web site for absolute beginners. Distributed through newsagents in Australia and fattening Kerry Packer's wallet.

Australian Consolidated Press Pocketbooks, Sydney (March 2000)

Writing X Windows and Free Software chapters for second edition of the Linux Pocketbook publication.

Spike Networks, Double Bay, Sydney (July 1999-March 2000)

Strategy and pre-sales producer. Involving web strategy development, pre-sales documentation, technical documentation and training for large-scale web products. Internal network documentation for global web hosting network. Client training in Tokyo on large intranet project.

Corporate Express, Rosebery, Sydney (May 1997-September 1998)

Further development of NetXpress including documentation, training design and coordination and customer training; Business analysis and internal application documentation; network documentation and planning; project management of international deployment of web application running on GNU/Linux, Solaris and DG/Unix systems.

Wide West Media, Ultimo, Sydney (May 1996-April 1997)

Online and print editorial for a variety of publications including the discontinued Webmaster. Development, design and editor of Online World.

Whiteway House, Rockdale, Sydney (January 1996-May 1996)

Video production including editing with Media 100 based online suite. Design, implementation and maintenance of online ordering Web site.

August House Media Services, St Leonards, Sydney (February 1994-August 1995)

Maintenance of mail-order database; Design, typesetting and booking of advertising; Management of data-entry staff; Resolving customer problems.

PDA Solutions

Introduction to AuthorIT

Corporate Express Training 1997-1998

Management Certificate

Train the Trainer Certificate

College St Louis, Le Mans, France 1991-1992

Exchange student with Southern Cross Cultural Exchange.