Oct 1974 - March 2000:

During the period 1975 - 1985 I spent much of my time working on telecommunications systems at Philips (PTI) in Hilversum. These were mostly old-style (low-speed telegraphy) message switching and telex systems, with projects in Zaire, Sweden and Singapore. I also got experience (hands-on) with X.25 and Teletex.

Interrupting the above period, in 1979/1980, I led a development project for a system monitoring the slabs of steel produced by a continuous casting plant. And in 1983 I led a team implementing a subsystem for a gas pipeline simulation system. This was a VAX/VMS environment with PASCAL as language.

Returning to project management, in 1986 and 87 I was member of the management team on a large project for automating the job centres in the Netherlands. The project aimed for better communication between job centres and standardisation of their functions in order to improve the matching of supply and demand on the job market. I had particular responsibility for general planning across the sub-projects and quality control during the specification phase.

On another large project in 1989 I led the team preparing the functional specification for a magnetic card fare payment system for public transport. I sat between the end client on the one hand and the main system supplier on the other hand, which involved handling some conflicts! It was a fixed price job, by the way.

A number of consultancy assignments in the period 1985 - 1991:

• Within a directorate of a major Dutch bank, I formulated the function description for a new management position in the line organisation concerning an e-mail system at the computer centre. This was a politically sensitive task following in the wake of a large re-organisation.
• Supervision of the acquisition of network components in an X.25 network for the Dutch social administration office (GAK).
• Support of a network components supplier in the functional specification of a network monitoring product with reference to the (then) draft ISO standards on management information exchange.   [The Prologue]
• Prepared some standards as part of the quality system for an organisation promoting and sponsoring innovative IT projects in the Dutch police.
• Performed internal function and project audits.
• Investigated the status of a product development project in order to advise the director of the holding company regarding further strategic investment decisions. The product concerned the use of cable TV as two-way interactive medium.

Continuing the consultancy theme, in 1988 I headed a team carrying out an Information Planning for an aluminium production plant. The BSP methodology was employed and all managerial staff, including the director, were interviewed to enable a full analysis of the information needs.

In 1991 I carried out a strategical consultancy exercise for the Dutch Ministry of Justice. I investigated the consequences for the Ministry of the introduction of the new local government information systems (GBA), taking into account organisational, financial, legal and technical aspects.

During the period 1989 to beginning of 1994 I fulfilled an Operational Management role within Logica's Government division (then at a level of 35 staff engaged on about 25 projects). Responsibilities included:

• project supervision and quality;
• resource management;
• staff management, including recruitment;
• financial control and reporting;
• contracts

From spring 1994 until the end of 1998, I was involved in a major project for the Dutch postal service (PTT Post). Called 'BriefPost2000' (= Letter Mail 2000), the project replaced the existing 12 sorting and distribution centres with 6 completely new sorting centres equipped with modern sorting machines and state-of-the-art address recognition units supported by automation facilities for ensuring a flexible and optimal use of these resources. The various components were delivered by a number of large suppliers from different countries. In my role as "Technical Manager and Design Authority" and together with a small team, my task was first to specify the interfaces between the central IT component and the sorting and recognition components, and after that to provide technical coordination and quality control and to analyse and specify functional extensions to the system.

From January to August 1999, I participated in the management team in the initial phase of a large project for the Dutch Railways concerning the modernisation of the safety and control systems.  The new system was required in the first instance for new tracks which are being built for international and high-speed traffic; in the longer term, the intention is to make more efficient use of the existing infrastructure by enabling a higher traffic density.  The system will conform to new European norms (ERTMS) in signalling and control aimed at interoperability between countries.  The system is to be developed by specialised international suppliers.   As with the foregoing project, the basic role here was to support the client organisation in management of the contracted supply.  My tasks included management and control of internal requirements elicitation and system specification activities, and general quality control.