What do you consider to be your main area of expertise?
I am a technical all-rounder having extensive exposure to the Application Messaging, workflow, Application Engine, PeopleCode, reporting and interfaces in both HCM and Financials.

In Financials I specialize in Supply Chain eProcurement and Purchasing as a vertical stream. This includes the Purchase Order, Accounts Payable and General Ledger modules. My main area of understanding is the eProcurement module and the way it fits into the PeopleSoft Purchasing model.

What is the most interesting customisation that you have done or seen in PeopleSoft?
There are a couple of interface customisations which I have written involving Application Messaging Publish and Subscribe between two company systems for LVMH. The requirement for the client was to allow data sharing between two completely separate systems in order that manager movements could be tracked across the group. This was interesting to set up as it involved a degree of data integration work and the complexities of interfacing the systems so that they could be joined with others, either directly to PeopleSoft databases or by xml flat files at a later date. The interface that I completed needed to collect the data from an xml format flat file created by the external system and use Application Messaging and file layouts to decode the xml and distribute the data to the correct areas of the host system. While I was there we also configured the system so that it could receive, and transmit data directly to another PeopleSoft environment, provided they adhered to data standards set out by our host system.

I also created a proof of concept direct merchant integration between Dell and BUPA. This was exciting because it is a rare development in Europe, as not many eProcurement clients are live and most that are tend to use supplied catalogues from Commercial Market Site portals, which results in a lack of investigation into the technical possibilities of this part of the system as the interface is effectively controlled externally. The development allowed a seamless purchasing process between the favoured merchant and the client PeopleSoft system, allowing the PeopleSoft system to control the authorization for purchases, while the cost of maintaining the catalogue returns to the vendor. It was challenging as I had to come to terms with the cXML standard and then present to Directors, users and technical staff, explaining the interface at a variety of levels.

What project have you most enjoyed working on and why?
Tricky question - on the one hand I have really enjoyed working at BUPA, the people there are good and pretty knowledgeable, also they tended to actively seek and act on any advice I could provide to them, however I also really enjoyed working at BP as I learnt a lot from the other Congruent consultants there.

What would you most like added to the PeopleSoft product?
Full integration of the e-modules would allow efficient debugging through the Application Designer. Currently it is not possible to use the delivered PeopleCode debugger on PeopleCode contained within these sections, which means that the error detection process is less efficient, especially given the amount of processing done by code. In eProcurement, I am thinking particularly of workflow and the dynamic pages where quick identification of PeopleCode bugs would undoubtedly help with reversing the perception that this is a problematic product.

What is the most frustrating thing about the PeopleSoft product?
The Customer Connection website could be more user friendly. Better links to archived solutions to known product issues, accessible from the PeopleSoft homepage would be very useful. Currently i find the "upgrades and fixes" area of the site difficult to navigate quickly and efficiently, and finding the correct fix to apply is often difficult. Considering this is an area in which speed would mean more value added to the client, improvement would be welcome.

The delivery of Bundles does not appear to fully satisfy on a product maintenance level. There are instances where bundles have failed to fix a problem as the specific resolution required has been dropped from the patch but the documentation for the patch has not been updated accordingly. This is a particularly frustrating issue from a technical perspective as patches require a high level of impact analysis, and if they don’t fix the problem they are supposed to, the return on the investment of applying that patch is not properly calculable, value add to the client is diminished and previously made assumptions become invalid. Really it is critical for the documentation to be accurate regarding the contents of these patches and bundles - otherwise there are unrealistic expectations surrounding delivered maintenance projects. The key areas where it would make a big difference in the provision of support and maintenance are really documentation and testing.

What originally drew you to consulting or the computing field?
Following a couple of years in a number of Pensions Administration jobs I found that my life had got dull beyond belief. I quit and went to get a Masters Degree so that I too could be an IT person (having watched them with feet up on the desks for a few years- it seemed sweet). I completed my Masters in Business IT Systems and looked around at the options available to me; I liked the idea of consulting as it offered the variety of work and workplaces. Having completed my thesis on data mining- it was obvious that ERP would be the best place to throw my hat- so here I am…

What advice would you give to a new client starting with PeopleSoft?
Make sure that you go for a quality implementation team. It is imperative to get the right team in to give a balance of functional and technical expertise. You need an experienced team to provide the levels of training for the users and the future support staff. A good team will also manipulate the product in such a way that it will maximise the Return on Investment with relation to your company circumstances. There are lots of good people out there and it is important to have them in from the start, whether they are Consultants or Permanent staff. If you don't have good people, as I have seen, you may find that the product will not meet your expectations since low quality of work will affect the usability of the system, both technically and functionally.

Why did you join Congruent?
I was relatively new into PeopleSoft, and having talked with their consultants they had a career structure and level of knowledge I could aspire to. I was also really impressed by the ethical stance and drive behind the company, a relief given some of my experience. I liked what I saw and heard and nothing has changed on that one. As to why they chose me… they are probably still asking, but they did need a token Scot.

Where do you want to be in 5 years time?
I would like to be a well regarded technical expert, hopefully still at Congruent.

Back to Our Team