Principal Consultant

John Giles (MBIT, Grad Dip App Info Sys, FACS)

Skill areas

John has worked in IT since 1969, and has a broad range of skills addressing most phases of solution delivery, from strategic through to hands-on delivery. Some key areas are listed below.

  • Enterprise Information Modelling, involving both traditional data modelling and object-oriented (OO) class modelling techniques.
  • Logical & physical data modelling and database design. John is the author and presenter of industry courses on data modelling as well as being an active practitioner. In 2005, he was selected as one of 19 international data modellers that formed a panel to support PhD research into data model styles.
  • Data Vault modelling.
  • Project Management. John has a proven track record of consistently meeting project expectations regarding functionality, schedule and budget.
  • Training & Mentoring. John has frequently been engaged specifically to perform a skills transfer to in-house staff.
  • Workshop facilitation.

Professional recognition

Member of the Australian Computer Society since 1991. Re-graded as a Fellow in 2005.

Formally recognised by Professions Australia as a 2012 Professional of the Year finalist, where Professions Australia expect, “… in particular”:

  • That the outstanding service/activity should have culminated in the previous year and be the result of an outstanding cumulative effort over many years.
  • That the degree to which the community has benefited as a whole from the nominee’s activities should be notable, as should the worth of the community’s benefit.
  • That the contribution made by the nominee in ‘professional service’ to the community should be readily reconcilable with the Mission and Goals of Professions Australia.
  • That personal sacrifice, commitment and ethical behaviour should be outstandingly evident.

Formal qualifications

RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) University

2001 – Master in Business (Information Technology)

  • High distinctions in all graded subjects
  • Minor thesis received the ‘2001 Master in Business (Information Technology) Award for Excellence’, based on the minor thesis judged to be the most outstanding

1994 – Graduate Diploma in Applied Information Systems, with distinction.

  • Top student in graduating cohort.

Publications

  • “The Elephant in the Fridge: Guided Steps to Data Vault Success through Building Business-Centered Models” ISBN 978-1-63462-489-3, first published in 2019. [Book description: Success with a Data Vault starts with the business and ends with the business. Sure, there’s some technical stuff in the middle, and it is absolutely essential – but it’s not sufficient on its own. This book helps the reader shape the business perspective, and weave it into the more technical aspects of Data Vault modeling.]
  • A trilogy of papers addressing the merits, methods, and application, of big-picture, top-down modelling, published on the TDAN.com website:
  • “Universal Data Vault: A case study in combining ‘Universal’ data model patterns with the Data Vault architecture” This web site [Universal Data Vault – case study]  February 2015 (and TDAN November 2015)
  • “Patterns for Peace: How to find some common ground in the (un)civil war between agile developers and data architects” ACS Information Age. March/April 2013
  • “Agilist vs. (data) Architect: A civil (or uncivil?) war” AgileTODAY. July 2012
  • “The Nimble Elephant: Agile Delivery of Data Models Using a Pattern-Based Approach” ISBN 978-1-9355042-5-2, first published in 2012. [Book description: This book presents a pattern-based approach that delivers the quality expected by traditional data architects at the speed demanded by “agile” developers.]
  • Delivered a series of Position Papers for inclusion in the TeleManagement (TM) Forum’s addenda to their Shared Information / Data (subsequently known as Frameworx) model, 2007 and 2008.
  • Acknowledged contributor to “Data Modeling Essentials”, by Graeme Simsion, Graham Witt, 2005.
  • “Is Data Warehousing only First Aid?” Database Programming & Design. July 1998
  • “Do-It-Yourself Object Oriented for Traditionalists” included in the Australian Computer Society’s “IT Trends Study Guide”. 1996, 1997 (based on similar source material as the Software Magazine article below).
  • IT Trends Study Guide”. 1996, 1997 (based on similar source material as the Software Magazine article below)
  • “Do-It-Yourself Object Oriented for Traditionalists” Software Magazine. Sept – Dec. 1995
  • “Fourth Generation Languages: ‘Vital Part’ of DP set-up”, Computing Australia, 1989
  • “CASE – The Foundation For Corporate and DP Productivity”, Proceedings of Australian Computer Conference, 1988
  • “ACI Backs CASE Push”, Computerworld Australia, 1987
  • “Gains in productivity are real and dramatic”, Computerworld Australia, 1985
  • Papers in 4 of the 5 Proceedings of Australian Conferences on Fourth Generation Languages and Systems, as presented by MTE (Management Technology Education) Pty Ltd (1983 – 1987

Seminar presentations

  • “A Data Vault roadmap … from warnings to solutions, using data model patterns”. MeetUp, Munich, Germany in October 2020. (Virtual).
  • “Data Vault success? It all starts with the business (model)!” Data Vault User Group, U.K. in June 2020. (Virtual).
  • “How to build a fast-&-good ontology”. World Wide Data Vault Consortium, Vermont, USA in 2019.
  • “The devil’s in the details? No, the devil isthe details” – a case for top-down modelling. DAMA, Melbourne, 2018, and Data Modeling Zone, Canberra, 2019.
  • “DIY Corporate Data Model: Develop your own corporate data model framework in 3 hours, using patterns”. Data Modeling Zone, Connecticut, USA and Dusseldorf, Germany in October 2017, and Canberra, Australia in March 2018.
  • “Introduction to Data Vault: A data practitioner’s view”. Data Modeling Zone, Connecticut, USA in October 2017, and Canberra, Australia in March 2018 and 2019.
  • “A Data Modeller and a Process Modeller walk into a Data Vault: Using Data Vault to analyse business processes by recording ‘existence’ across multiple sources”. World Wide Data Vault Consortium, Vermont, USA in May 2017, plus a similar paper at the Data Modeling Zone, Dusseldorf, Germany in October 2017.
  • “Consolidating Data Vaults: Turning business concept chaos into DV elegance”. World Wide Data vault Consortium, Vermont, USA in 2016.
  • “Vaulting to Value: Wide, deep & fast – with data modelling and Data Vault patterns”. Data Modeling Zone, Portland, Oregon, USA in 2014, and Data Modeling Zone, Sydney, Australia in 2015.
  • “Business Value via a ‘Universal Data Vault’ architecture: Achieving productivity & agility by combining Data Model patterns & Data Vault patterns”. DAMA, Portland, Oregon & Seattle, Washington State, USA in 2014. 
  • “Creativity, Fun & Teamwork”. Data Modeling Zone, Portland, Oregon, USA in 2014. 
  • “More fun, and more value, in your architecture: How to quickly and easily include a pattern-based data framework”. Architecture & Transformation Professionals’ MeetUp, Melbourne, 2014.
  • “Unlocking the (Data) Vault”. DAMA, Melbourne, 2014.
  • “Save your Career: Data Modelling in an ‘agile’ world”. Data Modeling Zone, Hannover, Germany in 2013.
  • “The Nimble Elephant: Agile Delivery of Data Models Using a Pattern-Based Approach” (workshop). Data Modeling Zone, Baltimore, Maryland, USA in 2012.
  • “The Agilist versus Data Architect civil (uncivil?) war”. Melbourne Agile and Scrum User Group, 2012.
  • Panel member in a session titled “Data Modeling in an Agile Environment”. DataVersity, USA, 2012.
  • “Save your Career: Data Modelling in an ‘agile’ world”. DAMA, Melbourne, 2012.
  • Instant Enterprise Information Models: Just add Patterns”. Enterprise Data World, San Francisco, California, USA in 2010, and the Melbourne chapter of DAMA (Data Management Association) and AOGEA / TOGAF (Association of Open Group Enterprise Architects / The Open Group Architecture Framework) in 2008.
  • Co-presenter for a session on Class Model Patterns at the TeleManagement (TM) Forum’s international Team Action Week, presenting via teleconferencing to an audience located in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australia, in 2007.
  • “Object Oriented Foundations”, Australian Computer Society, 2004.
  • “Model Driven Architecture”, Keeping Ahead, 2003.
  • “Identity Management, Data Management”, Australian IT Security Forum, 2002
  • “Pushing the E-comm Boundaries”, Mt Eliza Business School, 2001.
  • “Data Management Influence in Data Warehousing – Use it or lose it!”, DAMA, 1999.
  • “Data Modelling Masterclass” (Data Modelling for Data Warehouses session only), DAMA, 1999.
  • “Do-it-yourself Object Oriented for Traditionalists”, Australian Computer Society (ACS), 1997
  • “Objects for Oldies”, Australian Computer Society (ACS), 1995
  • “Bridge Builders Kit – Traditional to OO migration”, Object World, 1995
  • Data Quality workshop, ACS Victorian Branch Annual Conference, 1995
  • “OO Concepts” ACS OO Special Interest Group (SIG), 1994
  • “CASE/Productivity Tools”. ACS Young Professionals/Students SIG, circa 1993
  • Presentation at Productivity Forum, sponsored by Ferntree Computer Services, circa 1990
  • ACS – Debate with Charles Brodley, 1990
  • CASE Seminar at Jupiter’s Casino, Surfers Paradise in 1988 for Cincom
  • CASE Seminar at Swinburne Institute, 1988
  • Fourth Generation Languages and Systems (refer to “Publications” above), 1983 – 1987

Training courses

  • Developed and presented “Introduction to Data Vault: Starting you on the right track”
  • Developed and presented the “The Nimble Elephant: Agile delivery of data models using a pattern-based approach” course, based on the published book by the same name.
  • Developed and presented the “Business Modelling using UML” course for Monash IT and the Australian Computer Society.
  • Developed and presented a tailored in-house courses on the application of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and Rational Unified Process (RUP), for Wijojo and the Salvation Army.
  • Co-developed and presented the Simsion Bowles’ Data Quality course
  • Researched, developed and presented a course on object oriented concepts, specifically targeted as a “bridge-builder” for IT practitioners with experience in traditional technologies
  • Presented the Simsion Bowles Consulting Skills course
  • Developed and presented a tailored in-house course for Bunge Australia (Melbourne) in the use of ECT (a CASE tool) as applied to data modelling
  • Developed and presented nationally a series of workshops on the use of ECT (a CASE tool) and MANTIS (a 4GL)
  • Researched, developed and presented nationally a course on data modelling.

Associates

John is the sole IT consultant employed by Country Endeavours. However, over his decades of IT experience, John has built up a significant network of associates. It is this network that enables Country Endeavours to offer the formation of a team tailored to client specific requirements.