Sandra McDaniel

Work History

Business Systems Analyst

TECO Energy (S3)

01.2024 - 06.2024

In the Customer Experience group, worked on four major updates to APIs for phase 2 enhancements.
Managed multiple projects simultaneously, consistently meeting deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality workmanship.
Wrote detailed Rate Case requirements for presentation to Public Utilities Commission.
Collected functional, non-functional, and technical requirements and high-level cost estimates for O&M and capital expenditures for PMO presentation to upper management to formalize projects.
Facilitated technical and non-technical team communication, ensuring project alignment across all parties involved.
Collaborated with stakeholders to gather essential requirements, ensuring successful project outcomes.
Produced charts and diagrams to assist with problem analysis.
Developed diagrams to describe and lay out logical operational steps.
Championed PMO initiatives within the organization, promoting the benefits of adopting new procedures to improve overall efficiency.

Senior Business Systems Analyst

APS (Qualitest Group)

06.2023 - 12.2023

Generated requirements for updating AMI meters for large complexes as well as general neighborhoods, saving field technicians time locating meters.
Created user stories in ADO along with traceability matrices.
Designed wireframes for presentation and acceptance to field technicians to include new fields and functionalities.
Elicited and clearly documented business and system requirements.
Collaborated with stakeholders to gather requirements, translating them into actionable plans for system improvements.
Elicited and wrote detailed requirements for IGO (meter infrastructure) and revenue protection for the first time in company history to include both in an automated application, thereby saving 120 hours weekly.

BSA

Shell Energy

06.2022 - 06.2023

Analyzed proposed and extant systems for technological limitations and conformation with current technology needs.
Researched to understand the customer-side requirements for requesting, installing, and using microgrids in California.
Created modeling designs based on estimated capacity.
Researched and created kW ratings, amperage, voltage, and power factor requirements for devices' initial customer-owned, Shell-operated microgrid.
Determined operational objectives by studying business functions, gathering information, and evaluating output requirements and formats.
Led efforts to ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines in system design and implementation processes in a new business endeavor.

Business Analyst

Xcel Energy

05.2019 - 06.2023

Guided four system admins through database updates, as construction and green sheets required, and new and modified device details in the EMS database.
Created process flow maps and swim lane processes for operational readiness documentation for Production support.
Mentored five new team members unfamiliar with FLISR automated fault location, isolation, and service restoration, as well as Volt VAR optimization (VVO) to implement conservation voltage reduction (CVR)
Wrote over three hundred test cases (user stories) for use in testing applications for SIT and UAT.
Maintained Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM).
Actively participated in team meetings to share knowledge, exchange ideas, address challenges, and collaborate on potential solutions.
My efforts reduced operational costs by over one hundred thousand dollars through thorough data analysis and database updates and providing predictive analytics.

Senior Software Quality Analyst

Olenick

12.2018 - 05.2019

For DTE (Midwest utility) implementing a new OSI monarch platform for GMS, EMS, GIS, DMS, and OMS: client requirements against vendor test procedures for gap analysis.
Wrote over six hundred step-by-step test procedures for SmartGrid ADMS (EMS and OMS) Agile ADO project being implemented on a short-term, aggressive, phased basis.
Mentored two consultants on the SCADA, EMS and OMS systems.

Senior Business Analyst

BRIDGE Energy Group

11.2017 - 12.2018

Used XP (Extreme Programming) Agile development on an ABB SCADA platform using ArcESRI: Held workshops to elicit customer requirements turned into user stories.
Created eight wireframe displays for a new solution, wrote user acceptance criteria, and prepared user training documentation.
Worked with data analysts, GIS, and data lake developers to ensure the accuracy of architectural drawings and device location data.
Managed stakeholder expectations through transparent communication and timely status updates, ensuring alignment between project deliverables and business objectives.
Created three hundred forty-six detailed user stories for system enhancements, leading to improved functionality and user satisfaction.
Led process mapping initiatives, resulting in optimized workflows and reduced redundancies across departments.
Identified cost-saving opportunities by conducting thorough research into historical data on database devices to save truck rolls and an estimated eighty-thousand in the first year of production.

Senior Business Analyst

Cognizant Technology Solutions

09.2016 - 11.2017

For a leading-edge Big Data project (migrating to Hadoop Data Lake) using the Alstom SCADA platform, I took information from business owners and converted it to data mapping for data lake development.
Collaborated with marketing and generated lists of detailed artifacts as data lake attributes for each key attribute used in marketing.
Performed product backlog grooming and sprint planning for three-week delivery and test cycles.
Acted as Product Owner interface for UAT results.
Conducted workshops for one-hundred forth-eight technical requirements details and mentored three new business analysts on job responsibilities.

Senior Business Analyst

Cognizant Technology

01.2016 - 09.2016

For a leading-edge Demand Response System (DER) on an Aclara SCADA system with EcoSoft DER application in an Agile environment, I held workshops, created requirements, technical specifications, use cases, test scenarios, and user documentation for new APIs introduced into the power grid.
As a key player on the project, collaborated with vendors and end-users to integrate new product features into existing applications.
Harnessed the power of SQL scripting to retrieve data from the database effectively.
Mentored junior analysts on best practices for business analysis techniques, fostering professional growth within the team.
Enhanced stakeholder engagement through effective communication and kept the project within a $1.5 million dollar budget.
Mentored teams and streamlined workshop techniques by establishing a documentation framework to support agile methodology implementations.
Created detailed user stories for system enhancements, leading to improved functionality and user satisfaction.

Senior Quality Analyst/Business Analyst

Duke Energy

05.2011 - 12.2015

For a state-of-the-art Schneider (Telvent) SmartGrid implementation, lead business, development, and test analysts in an Agile SCRUM development environment
Created as-is and to be process mapping for projects in-flight.
Provided Change Management project and departmental process flows for new products before production release.
On a Telvent (Schneider) platform, held workshops to elicit requirements for Load Shed, CVR, Self-Healing Network, Trip Savers, FLISR, EMS, GIS, DMS, and OMS systems.
As part of SCADA testing, 150 DTS (Dispatcher Training Simulator) scenarios were created and savedin Habitat.
Facilitated development of more than 250 high-level requirements and 3200 detailed requirements across 7 projects.
Detailed documentation of requirements was responsible for preventing scope creep and ensuring stakeholder sign-off at end of projects.
Highlighting the impact of this effort was the more than 6 million CMI and $400K O&M costs saved during the Mid-point Recloser project.
Worked with multiple vendors, stakeholders, and project team to ensure critical defects were resolved in a timely manner, resulting in no delays to projects.
Created new process to document defect resolution.
Documented, reviewed, and updated 82 tests enabling automatic restoration of power
Efforts resulted in commissioning efforts planned to take 5 months reduced to 1 month, saving $300K in labor costs
As part of budget reduction efforts, worked with other SMEs to find additional testing efficiencies without impacting the quality of deliverables
Performed FAT and SAT testing with Telvent utility applications.
Improved product quality by implementing rigorous testing protocols and identifying areas for improvement.
Reduced production errors by training team members on best practices in quality control and continuous improvement techniques.
Ran vendor test scripts to prove out functionality, creating defects where programming errors were uncovered for immediate fixes.
Worked with data analysts and GIS data entry as well as Field Technicians, Design Engineers and line crews on architectural drawings and line construction personnel to ensure clean, accurate spatial and physical device placement and data lake accuracy.

Summary

Overview

Work History

Business Systems Analyst

Senior Business Systems Analyst

BSA

Business Analyst

Senior Software Quality Analyst

Senior Business Analyst

Senior Business Analyst

Senior Business Analyst

Senior Quality Analyst/Business Analyst

Education

Some College (No Degree) - Computer And Information Sciences

Skills

Training

Timeline

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