SMINA GOPALAN
SENIOR TECHNICAL MANAGER
London,ENG
Summary
Senior MS BI Manager cum Lead with 17+ years of experience in ETL development (Informatica, SSIS), data modelling, Power BI semantic layer design, report design, and techno-functional analysis. Expertise in driving digital transformation projects, including data modelling and building the foundation for Power BI reporting within Reporting Transformation Programs. Strong background in project estimation, analysis, and leading teams, including serving as Scrum Master for re-platforming reports from Cognos to Power BI. Proficient in SQL and experienced in mentoring teams to ensure timely and successful project delivery. Exposure in the latest technologies such as Azure, Data bricks, IoT, and Blockchain, with extensive experience in cloud migration projects and collaboration with clients and Microsoft SMEs. Adept at creating automation tools to optimize analysis workflows, achieving significant performance improvements and operational efficiencies. Proven track record of delivering results and driving innovation across complex BI projects.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
4
4
Languages
Work History
Scrum Master
Cognizant Technologies Solutions
02.2023 - Current
- Facilitated Scrum framework – sprint planning, backlog grooming, daily scrums, sprint reviews, and sprint retrospectives for the Cognos to Power BI transformation program.
- Objective was to re-platform the Cognos reports over to Power BI
- Close to 1000 reports were rationalised and reduced to 500 reports with various enhancements per the user requirement.
- Conducted daily stand-up meetings, sprint planning sessions, and sprint reviews, ensuring effective communication among team members.
- Developed custom Scrum boards for better task tracking and transparency within the team.
- Collaborated with Product Owners to refine requirements and ensure alignment with business goals for the Reporting Transformation program.
- Coached teams in Agile practices and provided necessary training to create positive mindset to Agile methodologies.
- Implemented continuous improvement initiatives through regular retrospective meetings with the team.
Power BI Data Modeller
Cognizant Technologies Solutions
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure model relevance and applicability.
- Reduced manual workload by leveraging automation tools where applicable.
- Custom automation tools were created to generate the detailed design document of all the existing reports. The manual efforts were reduced from 2 days to less than a minute
- Utility were also created to automate the emailing of UAT coordination process. This as well greatly reduced the manual effort in sending out UAT emails for close to 500 reports.
- Custom tools were created to help reduce the manual effort in data profiling and attribute collation. The efforts were reduced from days to within a minute.
- Supported Power BI by constructing dimensional models optimized for reporting purposes.
- Optimized data accuracy by designing and implementing efficient data models for various projects.
- Reduced query response times with the creation of optimal semantic layer.
Techno Functional Analyst
Cognizant Technologies Solutions
01.2020 - 12.2021
- Developed detailed technical documentation to facilitate development.
- Assessed business requirements to create focused solutions.
- Demonstrated exceptional problem-solving skills, quickly resolving technical issues while minimizing downtime and maintaining a high level of customer service.
- Handled and troubleshot SQL and database environments, identifying gaps and problem areas.
- Enhanced collaboration between IT teams by standardizing communication protocols around system requirements, project progress updates, and change management processes.
- Effectively communicated complex technical information to diverse audiences through clear writing, concise presentations, and engaging discussions.
ETL Lead
COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
05.2012 - 12.2019
- Managed a portfolio of complex ETL projects from inception through completion, ensuring timely delivery and client satisfaction.
- Ensured data quality by designing robust error-handling procedures and validation checks.
- Spearheaded the adoption of custom build utilities within the organization which helped reduce the analysis effort.
- Provided technical expertise for troubleshooting issues related to data quality or performance during various stages of the ETL process.
- Coordinated closely with business analysts to understand requirements and translate them into actionable development tasks for the team members.
- Mentored junior developers in ETL best practices, boosting overall team productivity and knowledge.
ETL Developer
INFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES LTD
11.2007 - 05.2012
- Years with extensive Functional and strong technical experience in Data
- Warehousing, Business Intelligence (BI) and ETL
- Extensive hands-on experience in data warehousing technologies working with Informatica, UNIX, SQL
- Plus with various data sources like Oracle, Teradata, Greenplum and Netezza as well as BI platform like Business Objects
- Part of requirement gathering team to prepare and publish the High Level Design documents.
Education
B.Tech - Electronics & Communication Engineering
University of Calicut
01.2004 - 10.2007
Skills
ETL - Informatica/SSIS
Data Modelling
SQL
Python
Power BI
Databricks
Azure
Blockchain Solidity
Scrum Master
Techno-Functional Analysts
undefinedAccomplishments
- Second runner up in Microsoft Caliber, 2019, Global level hackathon conducted by Microsoft.
- First place in Microsoft Caliber, 2020, Global level hackathon conducted by Microsoft.
- Centre Level RnR Winner, 2020, Recognized for outstanding contributions to the team and project success.
- Innovation Coordinator, GGM Portfolio, 2018-2020, Lead initiatives to drive innovative solutions within the organization.
Timeline
Scrum Master
Cognizant Technologies Solutions
02.2023 - Current
Power BI Data Modeller
Cognizant Technologies Solutions
01.2022 - 01.2023
Techno Functional Analyst
Cognizant Technologies Solutions
01.2020 - 12.2021
ETL Lead
COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
05.2012 - 12.2019
ETL Developer
INFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES LTD
11.2007 - 05.2012
B.Tech - Electronics & Communication Engineering
University of Calicut
01.2004 - 10.2007
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