Colin Smith
Software Developer
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since
May 13, 2021
Colin is a TOGAF certified architect and hands-on developer with 20+ years of experience in software development in various industries such as fintech, trading, retail, manufacturing, local government, and utilities, delivering an extensive range of projects from small projects through to enterprise applications integrating multinational operations. He's familiar with a wide range of technologies from modern .NET, SQL, and Azure cloud technologies to legacy mainframe and industrial systems.
Colin is available for hire
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Freelance
C#, .NET Core, JavaScript, Angular, SQL, APIs, .NET, Microsoft SQL Server...
Nissan UK
C#, SQL Server 2016, WebSphere MQ, Modbus Protocol, Windows Workflow Foundation...
Northumbrian Water
C#, SQL Server 2012, Windows Server 2012, .NET 4, IIS 8...
Experience
Microsoft SQL Server - 20 yearsC# - 18 years.NET - 18 yearsAPIs - 17 yearsMicroservices Architecture - 12 yearsMessage Queues - 12 yearsC++ - 10 yearsAzure - 6 yearsLocation
Availability
Part-time
Preferred Environment
.NET, Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, Message Queues, APIs, Microservices Architecture
The most amazing...
...system I've designed and developed is now running both production lines at the Nissan Sunderland car production facility in the UK.
Work Experience
2006 - PRESENT
Developer | Architect
Freelance
- Redeveloped a legacy CRM, quoting, and billing platform for a water utility company, migrating from a monolithic .NET 4+ React to a microservices-based architecture, using .NET 6 Web API and message-oriented back end with Blazor-based UI layer.
- Developed an MVP POS system for UK food outlet, initially using Swift, later switched to Flutter. The back-end system used .NET Core 3.1 Web API controllers and integrated into an online payment gateway (initially PayPal, and later switched to Stripe).
- Commissioned by Aqua Consultants and Bizen Limited on a joint venture to develop an industrial IoT device to communicate with Modbus devices onsite at water treatment plants, collect and average telemetry data, and upload data to Azure Cloud via 4G.
- Architected and developed three internal systems, including Oracle for CRM and commission forecasting, Hindsight for project management and asset curve and cost analysis database, and ENSCES, an engineering project estimation and costing tool.
- Architected and developed an IoT platform with a dashboard solution for a revolutionary new offshore drilling system for Royal IHC and TI Geosciences deployed from exploration vessels. The proof of concept platform was deployed and handed over.
Technologies: C#, .NET Core, JavaScript, Angular, SQL, APIs, .NET, Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, CI/CD Pipelines, HTML, SQL Server 2019, C#.NET, ASP.NET MVC 5, Web MVC, HTML5, CSS, NoSQL, ASP.NET, jQuery, Azure DevOps, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Blazor, eCommerce, Windows, Windows App Development, PayPal API, Stripe API, Architecture, Web Applications, Mobile Applications, iOS, Android, Online Ordering, Payment Gateways, Technical Leadership, React, Azure Databricks, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Project Management, Python, Azure SQL Databases, Data Analysis, Swift, Kotlin, Objective-C, Stripe, Cost Estimation, Microsoft, SharePoint, Integration, XML, Git, Model View Controller (MVC), Scrum, MySQL, JSON, ASP.NET MVC, MVC Design, RESTful Web Services, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Ruby, Full-stack, Software Architecture, Mobile Development, React Native, Responsive, Google Maps, Social Media APIs, System Administration, Google+, IT Support, Stripe Payments, Azure Logic Apps, Windows PowerShell, Excel Add-ins, Azure SQL, Multitenancy, WebAssembly, Azure Active Directory, Entity Framework, Consulting, Lead Generation, CRM Systems, Solution Architecture, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Dynamics 365
2014 - 2019
Lead Developer | Technical Architect
Nissan UK
- Designed and developed a core system responsible for managing, processing, and distributing body build and vehicle production tracking data from Nissan Europe mainframe to engineering, third-party vendors, and vehicle production systems.
- Developed a system that was handling 124,000+ inbound messages per day with sub-second (average 50-120 milliseconds) processing times and 380,000+ outbound messages per day over various network protocols.
- Developed a system that handles critical production data non-stop during 24/6 production hours from eight PM Sunday evenings until 11 PM Friday nights, plus any Saturday daytime production over time.
- Built a system that passed data in real-time with other critical supply chains and just-in-time manufacturing processing and tracking systems in the UK, Europe, and Japan.
Technologies: C#, SQL Server 2016, WebSphere MQ, Modbus Protocol, Windows Workflow Foundation, ASP.NET MVC 5, .NET 4, APIs, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), Angular, Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), SOAP, IIS, Windows Server 2016, IIS 10, JavaScript, SQL, .NET, Microsoft SQL Server, CI/CD Pipelines, HTML, C#.NET, Web MVC, HTML5, CSS, NoSQL, ASP.NET, jQuery, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Windows, Windows App Development, Architecture, Web Applications, Technical Leadership, Project Management, Data Analysis, Microsoft, Integration, XML, Git, Model View Controller (MVC), Scrum, JSON, ASP.NET MVC, MVC Design, Python, RESTful Web Services, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Full-stack, Software Architecture, Responsive, Google Maps, System Administration, IT Support, Windows PowerShell, Azure Active Directory, Entity Framework, Consulting, Solution Architecture
2013 - 2014
Developer | Architect
Northumbrian Water
- Architected and designed an engineering job estimating and costing system (iMODLite) based on existing calculation models initially developed in Excel.
- Designed the system that allowed NWL engineering teams to create upgrades and generate cost models for water installation assets within hours instead of weeks.
- Architected the system that allowed engineering teams to estimate both the financial and environmental (carbon) costs of projects during both the manufacturing and lifetime of the scoped assets.
- Delivered the initial system within five months and below budget, allowing additional nice-to-have features to be added following the initial launch.
Technologies: C#, SQL Server 2012, Windows Server 2012, .NET 4, IIS 8, Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), JavaScript, Angular, SQL, APIs, .NET, Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, CI/CD Pipelines, HTML, C#.NET, ASP.NET MVC 5, Web MVC, CSS, ASP.NET, jQuery, Azure DevOps, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Windows, Architecture, Web Applications, Technical Leadership, Project Management, Data Analysis, Cost Estimation, Microsoft, Integration, XML, Model View Controller (MVC), Scrum, ASP.NET MVC, MVC Design, RESTful Web Services, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Full-stack, Software Architecture, Responsive, System Administration, IT Support, Azure Logic Apps, Windows PowerShell, Excel Add-ins, Multitenancy, Azure Active Directory, Entity Framework, Consulting, CRM Systems, Solution Architecture
2011 - 2012
Developer | Configuration Manager
Swiftcover
- Designed, implemented, and rolled out a completely new configuration management solution that automated the generation of configuration over every environment, including production environments.
- Created automation of the environmental baselining process, allowing capture of the current environment and allowing a fully automated rebuild of any environment using the baseline as a starting point in less than two hours.
- Managed 26 multi-tier test, integration, pre-production, and two production environments used by multiple project teams spread over seven locations across the UK, ranging from Glasgow to Tunbridge Wells.
- Assisted developers and support teams with build, configuration, and environmental issues across all environments.
Technologies: C#, Microsoft Team Foundation Server, Windows Workflow Foundation, XAML, SSAS, XSLT, XML, BizTalk, MSBuild, SQL Server 2008, SQL, APIs, .NET, Microsoft SQL Server, CI/CD Pipelines, HTML, C#.NET, ASP.NET MVC 5, Web MVC, CSS, ASP.NET, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), eCommerce, Windows, Architecture, Web Applications, Online Ordering, Payment Gateways, Technical Leadership, Project Management, Data Analysis, Microsoft, SharePoint, Integration, Model View Controller (MVC), Scrum, ASP.NET MVC, MVC Design, RESTful Web Services, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Full-stack, Responsive, Google Maps, System Administration, IT Support, Windows PowerShell, Multitenancy, Entity Framework, Consulting, CRM Systems, Solution Architecture
2009 - 2010
Build and Release Manager
Tesco
- Managed the iterative fortnightly build and release cycle for what used to be the Tesco Entertainment (formerly Tesco Digital) site and associated platform services, which is now part of Tesco Direct.
- Contributed to bringing the new Tesco Entertainment platform online, integrating the in-house developed warehouse and order management system, migrate the old Tesco Entertainment and Tesco Digital platforms to the new unified platform.
- Delivered the new platform within budget and a very tight deadline (four months) with key responsibilities for the architectural, hardware, and software changes and deployments.
- Built all of the dev, QA, UAT, and internal system environments for Silk Route UK when they took over the project, based on HA Hyper-V clusters, active-active SAN storage, and SCVMM utilizing a Windows 2008 R2-based AD structure.
- Developed the system as a hybrid model, utilizing the Microsoft stack (.NET, SQL Server, and IIS) for the customer-facing systems and Java, GlassFish, and Oracle for warehouse management.
Technologies: C#, .NET, SQL Server 2008, Java, GlassFish, Oracle, SQL, APIs, Microsoft SQL Server, CI/CD Pipelines, HTML, C#.NET, ASP.NET MVC 5, Web MVC, ASP.NET, jQuery, eCommerce, Windows, Architecture, Web Applications, Online Ordering, Payment Gateways, Technical Leadership, Project Management, Logistics, Data Analysis, Microsoft, SharePoint, Integration, Oracle DBA, XML, Model View Controller (MVC), Scrum, ASP.NET MVC, MVC Design, RESTful Web Services, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Full-stack, Responsive, System Administration, IT Support, Windows PowerShell, Consulting, CRM Systems, Solution Architecture
2006 - 2009
Developer | Build and Release Manager
London Stock Exchange
- Developed the fortnightly build and release cycle of the old London Stock Exchange corporate website and its associated applications and services, including maintaining compliance with internal ITIL and ISO/IEC 20000 requirements.
- Managed the full release lifecycle from coordination of release initiation notices (RINs) with the third-party vendors through the full lifecycle to deployment, post-release handover, and support.
- Defined release scopes according to the overall platform plan, gathering code updates from the internal and third-party vendors, performing code analysis and review, technical and load testing, and highlighting any problems.
- Signed off or pulled RINs from the build from a technical perspective before handover the release to the business stakeholders for UAT business sign-off.
- Developed applications and scripts to assist in the overall development of the platform, outside of the scope of work given to the third-party vendors, usually related to internal systems, or maintaining the build and deployment framework.
- Managed and coordinated gathering code updates from large teams of developers based at three primary external development vendors in multiple countries and various internal development teams.
- Helped "keep the lights on" and all systems operational during the 2008 financial crisis, despite the explosion in trading volumes that could never have been anticipated in the functions' capacity planning.
- Acted in the capacity of lifeboat contact, which involved being the primary contact for restoring various services from the alternate site in the event of the loss of the primary datacentre due to disaster or malicious third-party activity.
Technologies: C#, SQL, APIs, .NET, Microsoft SQL Server, CI/CD Pipelines, HTML, C#.NET, ASP.NET, eCommerce, Windows, Windows App Development, Architecture, Web Applications, Online Ordering, Payment Gateways, Technical Leadership, Project Management, Data Analysis, Microsoft, SharePoint, Integration, Oracle DBA, XML, Scrum, RESTful Web Services, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Full-stack, Responsive, System Administration, IT Support, Consulting, CRM Systems, Solution Architecture
2006 - 2006
Solutions Architect
SEKO Worldwide Ltd
- Performed analysis of two of the company's existing products and designed the architecture of a new project to combine both products into a single new modernized product.
- Conducted a feasibility study that took three months to complete together with the analysis, design of the new system, and production of a basic prototype system.
- Helped decide to abandon the project at the end of the feasibility study as it became clear that it was not economically viable to proceed at that time.
Technologies: Classic ASP, ASP.NET, SQL, APIs, .NET, Microsoft SQL Server, HTML, C#.NET, Windows, Architecture, Web Applications, Technical Leadership, Project Management, Logistics, Data Analysis, Microsoft, Integration, Scrum, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Software Architecture, System Administration, IT Support, Consulting, CRM Systems, Solution Architecture
2005 - 2006
Lead Developer | Systems Administrator
Cluster Seven Services Ltd
- Managed items of work through the full development lifecycle and the development of code for the software application, primarily on the back-end aspects of the system.
- Wrote architectural, functional, and technical specifications for new and existing functionality to be changed, ensuring the changes outlined maintained Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.
- Designed and implemented a change to the system that quadrupled the throughput of the system when working with NetApp-based filesystems.
Technologies: C#, IIS, Microsoft Excel, SQL Server 2000, Microsoft Team Foundation Server, SQL, .NET, Microsoft SQL Server, CI/CD Pipelines, HTML, C#.NET, Windows, Windows App Development, Web Applications, Technical Leadership, Project Management, Data Analysis, Microsoft, Scrum, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Full-stack, System Administration, IT Support
2002 - 2005
Chief Technical Officer
Ridge Media Ltd
- Reported directly to the company’s managing director, responsible for all technical decisions for both internal systems and projects, purchasing and budgeting for technical projects, internal company equipment, licenses, and supplier relationships.
- Architected and developed a pioneering kiosk browser system called BarBrowser for the hospitality industry, utilizing a core application developed in C++ and MFC, a hosted IE browser, and embedded Macromedia Director visuals and graphics.
- Developed the BarBrowser unit installed in many bars around Newcastle city center, allowing patrons to browse the internet with targeted advertising pushed down to the units. The project was later sold to another company for a substantial profit.
Technologies: .NET, SQL Server 2000, ASP.NET, Classic ASP, Visual Basic 6 (VB6), C++, Adobe, Windows NT Server, IIS 6, Visual SourceSafe, JavaScript, SQL, APIs, Microsoft SQL Server, HTML, C#.NET, eCommerce, Windows, Windows App Development, Architecture, Web Applications, Online Ordering, Payment Gateways, CTO, Technical Leadership, Project Management, Microsoft, Integration, Scrum, MySQL, Full-stack, System Administration, IT Support, Multitenancy, Consulting, Lead Generation, CRM Systems
2000 - 2002
Developer | Systems Administrator
Hexcentric Ltd
- Wrote functional and technical specifications for projects, primarily with public bodies within government careers services and education providers.
- Developed an adult learning platform (ALIGS), which was rolled out across every career service in Scotland in 2001.
- Recommended equipment and license licensing to the managing director, ran the company network and server infrastructure day to day, and provided ongoing support for implemented systems.
Technologies: Visual Basic 6 (VB6), C++, SQL Server 7, Java, JavaScript, SQL, APIs, Microsoft SQL Server, HTML, CSS, eCommerce, Windows, Windows App Development, Architecture, Web Applications, Online Ordering, Technical Leadership, Microsoft, Integration, MySQL, Full-stack, System Administration, IT Support, Consulting, CRM Systems
1999 - 2000
Lead Developer | Systems Administrator
VisiTech International
- Led a team of three people during the development of the company's fluorescence microscopy medical software, including writing specifications and breaking down the work to be done into work items.
- Implemented processing and control routines in embedded C and C++ on microcontroller and DSP cards.
- Wrote software for one of the microscope systems that was installed onboard the International Space Station in the life sciences module.
Technologies: C++, OpenGL, SQL, Windows, Windows App Development, Technical Leadership, Microsoft, System Administration, IT Support
Experience
Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
MES is a Windows Workflow-based control system developed for Nissan, which manages and coordinates communications with systems all across the manufacturing shop floor, enabling the just-in-time manufacturing process to operate within the factory.
Initially developed in 2014, the original scope of the system was to enable the new Infinity range of cars to be built in Sunderland by interfacing with security and coding systems in Japan and Germany, engineering data in unit assembly control, and vehicle ECU programming devices on manufacturing shop floor.
In 2017, the scope widened substantially due to a need to replace an aging 20-year-old VB6-based system that ran the production line. As a result, the scope expanded substantially to being responsible for managing, processing, and distributing vehicle spec change data between the manufacturing shop floor systems and the mainframe, data for Engine OK (engine build final line) and Engine Fit (vehicle assembly line), and miscellaneous other data (work instructions and comment data).
Finally, the system also needed to translate data formats for various manufacturing systems, including XML, flat text, and binary data formats. The final system processes over 500,000 messages per day.
Initially developed in 2014, the original scope of the system was to enable the new Infinity range of cars to be built in Sunderland by interfacing with security and coding systems in Japan and Germany, engineering data in unit assembly control, and vehicle ECU programming devices on manufacturing shop floor.
In 2017, the scope widened substantially due to a need to replace an aging 20-year-old VB6-based system that ran the production line. As a result, the scope expanded substantially to being responsible for managing, processing, and distributing vehicle spec change data between the manufacturing shop floor systems and the mainframe, data for Engine OK (engine build final line) and Engine Fit (vehicle assembly line), and miscellaneous other data (work instructions and comment data).
Finally, the system also needed to translate data formats for various manufacturing systems, including XML, flat text, and binary data formats. The final system processes over 500,000 messages per day.
Skills
Languages
SQL, C#, XML, C#.NET, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, C++, HTML5, Python, Kotlin, Java, Pascal, COBOL, T-SQL (Transact-SQL), XAML, XSLT, Visual Basic 6 (VB6), Swift, Objective-C, Ruby
Frameworks
.NET, Angular, ASP.NET, .NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, Windows PowerShell, Blazor, React Native, The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF), Windows Workflow Foundation, ASP.NET MVC 5, .NET 4, Classic ASP
Libraries/APIs
jQuery, Entity Framework, PayPal API, Stripe API, React, Stripe, Google Maps, Social Media APIs, OpenGL
Tools
Git, Azure Logic Apps, Microsoft Team Foundation Server, SSAS, MSBuild, Microsoft Excel, Adobe, Visual SourceSafe, Jenkins, Jira, Artifactory, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Power Apps
Paradigms
Microservices Architecture, Azure DevOps, Windows App Development, Model View Controller (MVC), Scrum, MVC Design, Responsive, Mobile Development, Declarative Programming, Service-oriented Architecture (SOA)
Platforms
Azure, Windows, iOS, Microsoft, SharePoint, Linux, Android, Oracle, Windows Server, WebSphere MQ, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Storage
Microsoft SQL Server, Databases, Azure SQL Databases, JSON, Azure SQL, Azure Active Directory, NoSQL, MySQL, SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2012, SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2000, Oracle DBA
Industry Expertise
Project Management
Other
Message Queues, APIs, Data Structures, SQL Server 2019, CI/CD Pipelines, Web MVC, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), eCommerce, Architecture, Web Applications, Online Ordering, Payment Gateways, Technical Leadership, Data Analysis, Integration, RESTful Web Services, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Full-stack, Software Architecture, System Administration, IT Support, Multitenancy, Solution Architecture, 3D, Mobile Applications, CTO, Logistics, Cost Estimation, Stripe Payments, Excel Add-ins, WebAssembly, Consulting, CRM Systems, Network Protocols, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neural Networks, Electronics, Algorithms, Mainframe, VMS, Modbus Protocol, SOAP, IIS, IIS 10, IIS 8, BizTalk, GlassFish, Windows NT Server, IIS 6, SQL Server 7, MSMQ, PLC, Azure Databricks, Google+, Lead Generation, Microsoft Dynamics 365
Education
2001 - 2002
Master's Degree in Image Data Analysis and Visualization
Northumbria University (UNN) - Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
1994 - 2000
Bachelor's Degree in Computing Science
Newcastle University - Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
1992 - 1994
High National Diploma in Computing
Boston College of Higher Education - Boston, Lincolnshire, UK
Certifications
OCTOBER 2015 - PRESENT
TOGAF 9.1 Certified Enterprise Architect
The Open Group
OCTOBER 2007 - PRESENT
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft