Barnyard BBS

I say, let me never be complete.
I say, let me never be content.

For those of you wishing to really understand my business history, you've come to the right place.  

This page covers my history at each of my employers in great detail.  I hope it provides a more detailed picture of my career than my short resume.

If have any further questions about me, please let me know through the contact page.

Ben Yanis

Employment History:

Major Short-Term Lending Companies, Chief Architect, 2003-Present

  • Designed, developed, and managed technology infrastructure of a major short-term lender I developed a large portion of the architecture and systems that automate daily operations.  Internally, the companies are highly automated.  This level of automation allows for a minimal amount of staff to manage a huge volume of business with the maximum level of quality.  All aspects of the business are integrated and interconnected.  A centralized architecture allows seamless staff, customer, and management interaction.
  • Supervised automation of critical systems, facilitating large gains in total staff efficiency I designed the primary business systems that allow Military and Magnum to function.  They manage all the regulatory aspects of the business, such as loan disclosure compliance.  The systems are held to the highest standards of reliability, as it is impossible to run the businesses without them.  The systems are comprehensive enough to control the flow of work and information throughout the office, allowing the staff to focus on our customers.
  • Designed complex financial control systems to manage lending compliance requirements The financial control infrastructure at Military Financial / Magnum Cash Advance is crucial to conduction business in a legal and sustainable manner.  The systems in place are capable of producing fully compliant disclosures, paperwork, and audit documentation.
  • Leveraged technology to provide a a higher standard of customer service with minimal staff expansion Customer service is critical to any organization, especially so in the financial sector.  A comprehensive system manages most of the mundane tasks (such as sending collection letters, disclosure receipts, data security, backups, status inquiries, physical security, financial transactions, etc.), which allows the staff to handle only the customer-oriented and strategic tasks.

MediGraph Software, Chief Developer, 2000-Present (Officer)

  • Created, developed, and maintained a shrink-wrapped medical database system from inception to maturity I joined the MediGraph team back when the product was nothing more than sketches in the margins of a few medical text books.  We wanted to develop a documentation product that would allow physical therapists to concentrate on their patients, not on tedious documentation requirements.  We spent three years developing MediGraph from the ground up.  In September, 2003, MediGraph was released to the world.  MediGraph has had several revisions and upgrades since that time, and in used in over 500 clinics nationwide.
  • Automated many internal procedures, such as contact management, scheduling, billing, and staff interaction The internals of MediGraph are fully automated.  This allows our staff to concentrate on our customers.  We pride ourselves on outstanding customer service and support.  A highly automated back-office allows us to focus on the customer-oriented tasks.
  • Managed several developers, projects, and facilities MediGraph was a big project.  The flagship product includes over 300 medical studies, and weighs in at nearly 350,000 lines of code.  It took a lot of coordination to bring it to market.  I oversaw most of the operational aspects of MediGraph's evolution.
  • Supervised Technical Support and Quality Assurance (Post-Production Groups) Superior customer service and support is what sets MediGraph apart in the marketplace.  We made it a point to actively pursue high quality after the product had been released.

W-Lok Corporation, Design Engineer, 1998-2000

  • Designed and modified high security locking systems W-Lok was a designer and manufacturer of high-security stainless steel locking systems.  I worked as the lead design engineer in the United States.  With my background in locksmithing and physical security, I helped W-Lok to modify existing designs to facilitate quality and reliability.
  • Extensive product prototyping, specialty in thermoplastic casting W-Lok did not have stainless casting facilities in the United States.  Most of my prototypes were made in our machine shop, or cast using thermoplastic resins.  I gained a lot of experience in rapid prototyping while making design modifications.
  • Automated/integrated internal procedures, such as inventory, sales, support, billing, etc. Since our products were unique, we needed a unique tracking system to handle them.  I built an integrated system that would handle all aspects of our business.  It allowed us to track a product from the assembly facility through end-user support many years later.

BLS Security Solutions, Sole Proprietor, 1997-2000

  • Designed large security plans, including masterkey systems, employed forensic locksmithing skills Many of my large clients needed complex secuity and access control systems to adequately protect their facilities.
  • Used knowledge of security and software engineering to pay for my college tuition I used my locksmithing and security skills to help pay for my college tuition.  I established a small security service company in the Rochester, NY area during my college years.  I concentrated in commercial and industrial clients where possible.

Skills Summary:

  • Proficient in over 20 computer languages Throughout my travels, I have written code for nearly every platform in nearly every language.  In recent years, my efforts have focused on business applications, specifically on database systems.  The systems that I have created most recently have been financial and medical in nature, but also reach out into other disciplines such as internet connectivity, encryption, and cross-platform interaction.  Most of my recent work has been using VB.Net, C#, Visual Basic, and Access (VBA).  Previously, I worked with Perl, C++, PHP, Java, and many other lanuages.
  • Experienced in web development and web server administration I've spent a lot of time working with various web-technologies.  I've developed several active sites, both within my primary fields, and also personally.  My primary goals in web development are the abstraction of content from presentation, and the abstraction of rules from structure.  My specialty has always been in intelligent, database driven websites.  I prefer ASP.Net over other languages for these tasks; but I have worked with traditional ASP, Perl, PHP, and Java.
  • Experienced with many database systems, such as , SQL Server, Oracle, mySQL, Access, and others Since most of my projects have been very "business-centric", I have had a lot of exposure to database systems.  Many of the "shrink-wrapped" products that I have sold have used the Jet/Access database engine because of its low maintenance requirements.  Many of our "large database" internal systems have been built using Oracle, mySQL, or SQL Server.
  • Experienced in all phases of software development, emphasis on database and business systems I have had an interesting career path.  Since I have had exposure to both "shrink-wrapped" products and "in-house" products, I have seen the entire development cycle.  I have been involved in projects from the first sketches until the maintenance revisions many years later.  A lot of experience can be gained supporting applications that are absolutely critical to business operations.
  • Extensive experience with Microsoft Office software integration projects Integrating custom products with standard Microsoft Office components has proven invaluable.  It allows us to leverage the existing skills that users bring to the workplace.  Through many projects, I have gained the ability to seamlessly integrate and leverage familiar products such as Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint to maximum business advantage.
  • Experience with managing several projects, developers, and facilities Management is critical to project success.  I have learned this from both ends of the ladder.  Motivating your team and setting appropriate goals can make a world of difference on your project.  I have had experience in large projects and small, and found that team-integration is crucial.
  • Background in server / network security and administration Although I have done development and management in recent years, I still become involved in the logistics of how environments work.  I have background administering many types of platforms and security designs.
  • Linux / Unix / Solaris / VMS / Mac experience Since I moved frequently in my earlier years, I had exposure to many diverse systems.  It is good to be familiar with everything that's out there.  I spent a large amount of time managing Linux and Solaris systems during my college years.
  • Background in data modeling / data analysis Data analysis is critical to a small business.  In small business, you need to know what your situation is, so that you can make changes as necessary.  Data is not information until you understand it.  Information is not knowledge until you can use it to your benefit.
  • Working knowledge of financial and medical sectors My career has kept me active in both the financial and medical sectors of business.  I have working knowledge of lending laws, collections practices, HIPAA guidelines, and medical practice procedures.

Education:

  • Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, NJ Thomas Edison State College is where my college odyssey concluded.  I had an interesting idea regarding college:  I did not want to pay for it.  I nearly achieved it.  I managed to get my various employers to pay for six out of eight semesters of college.  Although it did require a lot of moving, I would certainly do it again.  Thomas Edison is a wonderful school, especially because they were willing to accept a student with over 100 credits in his pocket.  You would be very surprised how few schools want a student that will not be paying 2+ years of tuition.  Finally, something good that comes from New Jersey.
  • Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY RIT was the first of my many colleges.  I began attending RIT in the fall of 1998.  I had not yet graduated from Hill, but I felt it was time to move on to college.  I began my studies in the Computer Engineering department.  I spent two years working hard at RIT before I was offered the position at W-Lok.  I left RIT and transferred to a college local to the W-Lok headquarters.
  • The Hill School, Pottstown, PA I enrolled in the Hill School in the fall of 1994.  I was accepted into the second form (eighth grade) class.  Hill was an incredible school and gave me more than just an education.  I received my first formal introduction to engineering and computers during these years.  The Hill School also gave me an incredible opportunity.  With the help of the school, I managed to gain entrance to RIT having only completed fifth form (11th grade).  Through a deal between RIT and Hill, I returned after my freshman year in college to graduate with my high school class.  This extra year gave me a great advantage with my future college career.