OnShift
OnShift, a leading provider of human capital management software for post-acute care and senior living, experienced significant growth and transformation between July 2015 and March 2018. Starting as an engineer when the company had around 50 people and leaving as a technical lead of the Integration team when it grew to multiple hundreds, I played a pivotal role in shaping OnShift's engineering practices and culture.
My journey at OnShift saw me quickly rise from a member of the mobile and authentication team to the role of technical lead. I led critical transitions within the mobile and ETL teams, driving transformative Agile methodologies that dramatically reduced legacy application cycle times. My leadership in Python development, advocating for continuous integration practices using Jenkins, and initiating numerous learning and development programs fostered robust Agile and DevOps frameworks.
Key Projects and Contributions
Leadership and Team Development
Project Overview: Led several teams, including the mobile API and data integrations teams, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment. Established an internal lean startup team to drive innovation without red tape.
Technologies and Applications:
- Mobile API Development: Android, Python
- ETL Processes and Integrations: Python, Jenkins
- Agile Methodologies: Scrum, Kanban, XP, Lean
Features and Processes:
Team Development and Leadership:
- Mentored junior and senior developers.
- Advocated for XP practices and Agile transformation.
- Participated in engineering leadership and scrum master leadership councils.
Agile and DevOps Practices:
- Reduced legacy app cycle time from 23 to 1-2 days.
- Initiated trunk-based development and continuous delivery via XP principles and TDD.
- Set up Jenkins for Android Gradle build and continuous delivery using Fabric's Beta platform.
Learning and Development:
- Started Programming 101 lunch-and-learn sessions for non-developers.
- Established 'Saw Time' for individual growth and learning.
- Initiated reading groups covering 11 books on various technical topics.
- Advocated a culture of documentation using Confluence and initiated cross-department alignment meetings.
Outcomes: Establishing robust Agile and DevOps practices improved productivity and software quality significantly. The team's legacy code coverage increased from 18% to 53% over nine months while adding 4000 lines of code. Implementing continuous learning and development programs ensured continuous professional growth and team cohesion.
Security Enhancements and Awareness
Project Overview: Engineered vital security enhancements, boosting system security and team productivity.
Technologies and Applications:
- Security Awareness: Docker, Web Security
Features and Processes:
- Security Practices:
- Advocated for web security awareness.
- Demonstrated a security hole by running a hack-a-thon project that showcased the destruction of a local test instance running in Docker.
- Worked towards getting the local application stack and database running in Docker.
Outcomes: These initiatives improved the organization's security posture and raised awareness about potential vulnerabilities. The practical demonstration of security issues fostered a proactive approach to security among team members.
Impact and Practices
Agile and Collaborative Practices
At OnShift, I promoted agile methodologies and collaborative practices such as mob programming, pair programming, and TDD. These practices were instrumental in enhancing team productivity, improving software quality, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Continuous Learning Environment
I established several learning initiatives, including the Programming 101 lunch-and-learn series, reading groups, bi-weekly technical workshops, and 'Saw Time'. These initiatives ensured continuous professional development, encouraged knowledge-sharing, and helped maintain team cohesion.
Engineering Leadership
I spearheaded initiatives to foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment as a leader. Participating in engineering and scrum master leadership councils, I contributed to strategic decision-making and the overall growth of the engineering department.
Outcomes and Reflections
The transformational journey at OnShift underscored the critical role of solid engineering leadership and collaborative culture in driving company growth and delivering high-quality software solutions. By fostering a sustainable, innovative, and learning-oriented environment, I helped reduce legacy app cycle time from 23 days to just 1-2 days and increased code coverage significantly. These projects and practices demonstrated the impact of combining agile methodologies, continuous learning, and collaborative approaches in achieving remarkable business growth.
Conclusion
Partnering with OnShift was a landmark experience highlighting the transformative potential of innovative engineering practices and leadership. By fostering a robust engineering foundation and creating a collaborative and learning-oriented culture, I contributed significantly to OnShift's growth and success. These initiatives align with Dev3loper.ai's mission to leverage cutting-edge technology and best practices to drive transformative change across diverse industries.
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