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Since March of 2007 I began work to build network connections that could cushion the blow when consulting contracts expire. At that time, I was on the final leg of a contract with Unilever in Trumbull, CT. I knew that I had to grow my contacts in the industry quickly so I could find additional work in the near future. Once I discovered how much it fit my personality, I really started to get serious about it.
I started with LinkedIn and Plaxo to support my growing address book and follow-up with contacts to whom I thought I had some value to offer or that were of immediate value to my jobs search. I then started a bit of expanding the range social networking sites to afford me wider exposure and inbound invitations from others to avoid having to stop connecting to others when I reached the network limitations. (more…)
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rdwatkins on February 12th, 2008
Welcome to the beginning of my eternal student blog. I know I am bit old to be formalizing this but, now seems a fine time to be learning how to blog and start passing on to a younger generation some of what my life lessons have taught me.
In construction, law enforcement, military and now IT project management I have learned a great deal from being in several industries and having played many roles. With that background I am finding that which I am formally studying is making much more sense and I have points of reference to attach my thought to. It is a great benefit to be able to think back to working as a consultant at Unilever or Kraft foods and be able to correlate current course content to particular situations. This gives me mental practice formulating a relevant future responses for clients.
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rdwatkins on February 28th, 2003
RD Watkins extends contract into Customer Engagement Manager role.
Due to an extended medical absence of a key customer engagement manager who has ownership of several web/extranet and integration projects, RD Watkins has been engaged to temporarily take on these responsibilities. The projects that are the scope of this contract are LiveLink (OpenText), PlumTree Portal and My Unilever installation and integration of the subsequent legacy applications that will progress as modules into this new extranet environment. In addition to these projects, there is Project Phoenix with it’s objective to integrate the three Puerto Rico facilities into the standard “shared services” support model.
The PMO has also requested that Robert develop several “methods” for the upcoming deployment and utilization of UPlan (Niku – project and resource management software). He originally had a hand in creating the standard MS Project template that has been in use by the PMO over that last three quarters. The first method he creates will outline the production turnover process as it relates to the standard Unilever processes.
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Tags:
Deployment,
Development Effort,
Engagement Manager,
Extranet Environment,
Integration Projects,
Legacy Applications,
Ms Project,
Pmo,
Project Template,
Resource Management Software,
Script Development,
Shared Services,
Support Model,
Turnover
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Project Engagements
rdwatkins on January 1st, 2003
RD Watkins extends contract with Unilever in Integration Project Manager role to complete Best Foods NJ facility and Canadian business units Desktop Application roll-outs.
Unilever has committed to an extension of Robert D. Watkins contract so that the GIO Integration Lab may use his skills and years of experience with the Wise scripting tool and desktop roll-outs. Specifically, Unilever is completing the Canadian Aztec II Desktop/Laptop roll-out and the Unilever Best Foods and UNUS business unit deployments in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
This extension is slated to go until March to accomplish these final portions of these deployments.
Tags:
Best Foods,
Business Unit,
Canadian Business,
Deployments,
Integration Lab,
Integration Project,
Project Manager Role,
Rollout,
Scripting,
Unilever,
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rdwatkins on June 15th, 2002
RD Watkins inks new contract with Unilever for Project Management / Coordination
Unilever North America Global Infrastructure request Robert D. Watkins to assist with several ongoing projects. These projects include the Manufacturing for the Millennium SAP Project, Business Objects Upgrades, Gentran Migration from NT to Unix migration and Legacy Integration, Targeter for the Web enabled AMPs sales, Video Conferencing Production Turnover, Manugistics Enterprise Forecasting as well as the preparation for various Sales Office infrastructure build-out projects. These Projects will be managed for the Home an Personal Care Business Unit.
RD Watkins has been employed prior to this contract with Unilever in a Technical Project Manager role assisting in development of Wise Scripts for delivery of business applications via Microsoft SMS and for 8 locations / business unit deployments in 2001.
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