Dorman Products: IT Co-Op
Since August 2015, I have been interning as an IT Co-Op with Dorman Products.
My first assignment to work as a unit tester on the project team for Dorman’s SuccessFactors and ECP implementation. Using SQL and advanced Excel functions, I followed test script prepared by third party developers to ensure that the Employee Central and Payroll modules were being developed correctly. I would conduct my tests, record my findings, and attend daily project meetings to report my test results.
Not long after my SQL skills were recognized by the project manager, who was also the VP of Talent Management for the firm at the time, I was also tasked with leading the data migration effort for the SuccessFactors and ECP implementations with a consultant. There were 23 files that needed to be extracted, transformed, and loaded into the new SuccessFactors system, all containing different data related to employee and payroll information. I was responsible for 11 of these files, containing payroll information such as various tax calculations based on employee address and work site, wage garnishment calculations, and year to date tax information. I first gathered the data requirements for the new ECP system by consulting various subject matter experts. Then using the SQL database for our legacy system (PDS Vista HRMS), I created queries, stored procedures, and system jobs that would automatically extract the legacy data needed to fulfill the data requirements, transform them into data that would fulfill the system requirements, and load them into the new system. I would then write and execute test scripts that would verify the information in both systems during parallel payroll runs.
After going live with SuccessFactors’ Employee Central module in December, a business decision was made to put the ECP Payroll implementation on hold. This decision was made because the developers working on customizing ECP for Dorman were unable to meet the go live date of January 1, causing serious payroll consequences for 2016. We migrated all of our data out of the ECP module and continued using PDS Vista for payroll.
With ECP on hold, I began working with the benefits department to assist with the first open enrollment in the new SuccessFactors system. Since there is no SQL database, this required me learning how to use various SuccessFactors reporting tools to extract source data, create SQL database tables in my own database to store the data, and conducting ETL processes to send all of Dorman’s open enrollment data to its vendors. I created over 15 queries, stored procedures, and jobs that extracted, transformed, and loaded the data directly to the carriers via FTP. However this was no easy task. Dorman Products was set to be the first implementation of Success Factors’ Benefits module in the United States, and was still working out problems of their own regarding data architecture. I was unable to pull clean data out of the system, which required me to manually manipulate almost all of my files in order to send them to the carriers with the correct specifications.
After many rounds of ETL and testing, it was determined that the way SuccessFactors organized the data was not in a reportable format to be systematically manipulated and sent to carriers. Thus, another business decision was made to put the SuccessFactors’ Benefits module implementation on hold, fire the VP of Talent Management who was the project leader, and conduct benefits open enrollment in PDS. After migrating the benefits data to PDS, I worked with another member of the Dorman IT team to create the queries, stored procedures, and jobs that would send the correct benefit information to the carriers.
Currently as a member of the IT Team, I am specializing in the PDS HRMS Vista System. Members of the Dorman HR team approach me with various business needs. I then develop a systematic solution for them, many times using complex SQL Statements, and sent it back to them for unit testing. If the solution meets their specifications, I will file a Change Request, and attend the Change Request Board meetings to present my proposed change, and supporting documentation, where it is then implemented.
I have been recognized by all of my bosses as being an integral part of the Dorman HR and IT teams. I have also been offered with the company to stay full time, continuing my work as a member of the IT Business Solutions Team.