Joe L.

Experience

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  BDN

  Sept 2004 - May 2009

  Field Representative

  • Extensive travel for B2C tasks including kiosk sales, trade shows, and door-to-door sales. • Solicited various local and national organizations, in support of Newspapers in Education.• Structured successful team strategies for sales projects.

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  Walmart

  May 2009 - Aug 2009

  Management Intern

  • Developed a sustainable green initiative program, incentivizing the integration of alternative energy.• Cross trained in management techniques, inventory and distribution systems, and departmental policies.

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  BDN

  Sept 2009 - Feb 2010

  Online Media Consultant

  • Negotiated and designed online advertising campaigns for local businesses.• Managed an expansive multicounty territory, and implemented online market research tools.• Trained in B2B marketing and real-time analysis through use of Google Analytics.

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  University of Maine Alumni Association

  Aug 2010 - Jan 2011

  Research Assistant

  • Employed functional analysis to web based communication software, to orient buying decisions.• Developed and distributed online surveys.

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  University of Maine Alumni Association

  May 2011 - Sept 2011

  Affinity Relations Specialist

  • Assisted in the development of a media kit and accompanying statistics used as promotional material. • Negotiated online and print contracts to secure cash and or ad hoc sponsorships.

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  Stillwater Consulting, IMC

  Nov 2011 - Jan 2021

  Managing Owner

  - Market Research & Strategy- Sales Forecasting- Marketing Material Design- SEO / Social Media Development- Online Survey Design and Implementation- Website Design and Domain Name Registering

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  Eastern Maine Community College

  Jan 2012 - May 2012

  Adjunct Professor

  • Instructed courses in computer applications and database management.

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  Boston Retail Partners

  Jul 2013 - Jan 2020

  BRP is an innovative and independent retail management consulting firm dedicated to providing superior service and enduring value to our clients. BRP combines its consultants' deep retail business knowledge and cross-functional capabilities to deliver superior design and implementation of strategy, technology, and process solutions. The firm's unique combination of industry focus, knowledge-based approach, and rapid, end-to-end solution deployment helps clients to achieve their business potential. BRP’s consulting services include: - Analyzed client feedback to help determine the relevance of selection criteria including operational requirements, technical requirements, vendor viability, and cost of ownership.- Researched a range of hardware and software solutions to create market comparisons.- Worked on the development of requirement engineering documentation (FRD, BRD, and TRD wireframes) used to create a comprehensive technical and business RFP.- Compiled detailed input from department heads to determine present state operations and future state goals, to create a gap analysis weighted by priority, feasibility, and organizational alignment. - Participated in vendor interviews, which entailed drafting department specific questions highlighting underlying unique business requirements and analyzing vendor responses. - Facilitated communication between vendors and client to provide clarity of project milestones, timelines, and expectations.- Assisted in orchestrating vendor demonstrations of hardware and software solutions, including drafting scripts vendors used to show their ability to meet unique client requirements.- Collected and analyzed data from RFP, interview, and demonstration as part of a final selection recommendation. - Participated in the contract negotiation of new software and hardware systems, and with the destruction and remarket of retired equipment. Show less Quality Assurance- Worked onsite with software developer to help create and execute testing scripts for POS and CRM systems from previously developed FRD and BRD.- Executed manual and automated QA testing for all POS functions including payments and system integrations.- Created and deployed QA testing plans pre and post software development. - Directed communication between TS, DEV, PIM, IC, CC/DC vendors, and client to provide clarity on testing status, issue log, and major milestones. - Helped onboarding of testing staff, instructing them on unique functional requirements, and the processes of testing and installing various software and hardware.- Assisted in the reviewing of vendor deliverables and or documentation to identify functionality gaps further requiring customization or modifications.- Defined business requirements for in-house development and created accompanying test scripts.Project Management - Planned, executed and closed various projects involving interdepartmental dependencies and variables.Business Process Flow Modeling - Through extensive primary research, rendered dynamic visuals reflecting the totality of current-state frontend business processes and constraints. This work served as a precursor to future-state models which reflected an amalgam of changes in business policy and hardware.Software Selection - Accelerated software selection project for a major US based retail chain including the creation and scoring of a custom RFI, and the scripting of a vendor demo.Qualitative and Quantitative Research:Customer Surveys – results of which were used to influence decision making with regard to process flow, customer experience, frontend layout, and line busting techniques.Personnel Surveys – online surveys and focus groups, designed to ascertain the impact and pain points of a new hardware implementation. Show less

  • Senior Consultant

    Jan 2017 - Jan 2020

  • Consultant

    Jul 2013 - Dec 2016
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  Cambridge Retail Advisors

  Nov 2019 - now

  Strategy- Authored whitepapers on topics including: Covid-19 impact studies, matching consumers expectations, and emerging technologies.- Planned executive level Strategic Information System Planning (SISP) exercise to develop the future state design and transformation planning needed to develop a fully integrated enterprise system.- Optimized mobile checkout procedure through process modeling.- Supported a team researching next-gen wayfinding tech (BLE Tags vs GPS vs Wi-Fi vs Near-field RFID Tags).- Assisted with the merger and IT integration of three major US retailers, included defining scope, analyzing of technical architecture, and planning integrations of future applications.Selection- Determined the relevance of selection criteria - operational requirements, technical requirements, vendor viability, and cost of ownership.- Developed requirement engineering documentation (FRD, BRD, and TRD wireframes) used to create a comprehensive technical and business RFP.- Led vendor interviews, drafting department specific questions highlighting business requirements and analyzing vendor responses. - Assisted in orchestrating vendor demonstrations of hardware and software solutions, drafting scripts vendors used to show their ability to meet client requirements.- Collected and analyzed data from RFP, interview, and demonstration as part of a final selection recommendation. Implementations- Created resource-based projects plans (ranging in scale from 1-month market surveys to multi-year system integrations).- Organized project tools, documentation, and meetings required for proper cadence (RAID, Project Plan, Status Report, Issue Log, Contact Sheet, Rollout Calendar, Project Financials, Scrum Board, Stand-Ups).- Assisted in the creation of training materials used by personnel to navigate new POS.- Documented hardware and software staging techniques including pictures and enumerated processes.- Presented executive summaries to C-suite. Show less

  • Project Manager

    Jan 2020 - now

  • Director, Non-profit Technology Practice

    Nov 2019 - Apr 2021
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  Cambridge Retail Advisors - Economic Development

  Apr 2021 - now

  Managing Partner

  As a founder and Managing Partner at Cambridge Retail Advisors - Economic Development, I am proud to lead our mission to empower small businesses with transformative technology. To meet that goal, we collaborate with partners at the municipal, charitable, and for-profit level to provide support services, community awareness, educational seminars, and fundraising activities. Our expertise in ecommerce, point of sale, and online engagement affords our practice a unique position to reimagine main street economies.Partners and collaborators:- Boston Main Streets Foundation- Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation- Supplier Diversity Office - MA-Minority Business Development Agency- Small Business Strong- SCORE / SBA Show less