{"id":1472,"date":"2022-03-30T15:59:57","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T15:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/?p=1472"},"modified":"2023-02-02T11:01:17","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T11:01:17","slug":"software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Software,<\/span><\/div>

\"ChrisChris Conway
\nChief Architect, Quantiv<\/p>\n<\/div>

When I explain what I do \u2013 to family, friends and acquaintances \u2013 it can be all too easy to disappear into a world of jargon and abbreviations.<\/p>\n

This problem also affects professional descriptions, where formal CVs can be equally unhelpful and IT job titles can be vague, rarely showing what\u2019s really involved in a role or what experience is needed.<\/p>\n

But personal histories can be more enlightening...<\/p>\n

Beginnings<\/h3>\n

In my teens, I was fascinated by electronics (crystal radios, amplifiers, early synthesisers, etc.). So, to find out more, I enrolled on a \u2018sandwich\u2019 course at University College London (UCL), sponsored by GEC Telecommunications.<\/p>\n

At GEC, my student status \u2013 instead of being a barrier \u2013 allowed me to discover the inner workings of the company. I gained insight on everything from technical design and production to admin and sales and marketing.<\/p>\n

After graduating from UCL<\/a> with a degree in electronic engineering, I found myself more drawn to the world of digital electronics and computing (a lecture by the U.S. computer scientist, Mike Lesk, was a key influence on this).<\/p>\n

A \u2018grand\u2019 job title<\/h3>\n

I left GEC and joined a small software house, the Software Partnership (SP). The company had its own \u2018transaction processing\u2019 platform (think software for payments) and was a pioneer in online banking technology.<\/p>\n

I arrived at SP feeling chuffed to be given the rather grand title of \u2018Computer Systems Designer\u2019.<\/p>\n

Until I discovered everyone in the company was described that way.<\/p>\n

But after the initial deflation, I learned the title \u2013 and its application to all \u2013 was no accident.<\/p>\n

SP had a principle that all those involved in a project contributed to its success, so everyone in the company should be described in the same way.<\/p>\n

This early lesson remains in my mind to this day.<\/p>\n

From the UK to Europe<\/h3>\n

After being trusted with programming (\u2018developing\u2019) for UK banks such as TSB, Barclays, and Royal Bank of Scotland, SP took me to Europe\u2026 well, at least to The Netherlands, with Rabobank, ING, and BNG.<\/p>\n

In the mid-90s, SP became part of a global business (Deluxe Data International). This gave me wider experience of finance applications, no longer just in the UK and The Netherlands, but across Europe and the U.S. too.<\/p>\n

Joining Quantiv<\/h3>\n

Back on home soil and staying with transaction processing, I joined a small start-up company, Quantiv<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My initial work at Quantiv included the analysis, design and implementation of \u2018enterprise resource planning\u2019 (ERP) systems, in areas as diverse as milk processing, paint manufacture, and materials handling.<\/p>\n

A \u2018magic\u2019 diversion<\/h3>\n

But as if that weren\u2019t variety enough, I took a detour into the literary world in the early noughties with The Book Partnership. I started as \u2018technical director\u2019 at the fledgling company, but quickly learned that, in start-up land, one good project leads to leadership.<\/p>\n

This even provided 15 minutes of fame in the headlights of the press, while supporting independent booksellers with the release of the final book in the Harry Potter<\/a> series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.<\/p>\n

Back to reality<\/h3>\n

My grandad used to say: \u201cA small house has a large mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

And from my experience at The Book Partnership, I discovered the same applies to small businesses. Small companies have all the needs of larger organisations \u2013 even if they don\u2019t have the budgets.<\/p>\n

This gave me a respect for the practical realities of running an organisation and is something else that has stayed with me.<\/p>\n

A new chapter at Quantiv<\/h3>\n

Starstruck, but wiser, I became more engaged in Quantiv again. I set about designing and developing further software products for online retail, insurance, merchandising, and donation processing.<\/p>\n

Highlights included working with Hotel Chocolat<\/a> (a Willy Wonka project, if ever there was one) and JustGiving (the world\u2019s first online fundraising platform).<\/p>\n

Quantiv\u2019s evolution<\/h3>\n

The software platform we created earned a reputation for enabling organisations to control their processes precisely and effectively.<\/p>\n

But we also came to realise how much our clients could benefit further if they were able to focus on the numbers<\/a> that matter most to their businesses \u2013 without being distracted by masses of irrelevant detail.<\/p>\n

And so, we refined our work, leading to our latest products, NumberWorks and NumberCloud.<\/p>\n

Together, these new technologies now allow organisations to manage their application data \u2013 and turn it into actionable operational information<\/a>. Because when you have access to the right information, understanding follows, which in turn helps you make the right decisions for your organisation.<\/p>\n

The IT industry can be difficult to understand and there\u2019s no single route through it. But after more than three decades, I still think I have one of the best jobs in the world.<\/p>\n

Want to know more?<\/h3>\n
Call us\u00a0on 0161 927 4000 or\u00a0email\u00a0info@quantiv.com<\/a>\u00a0to chat about how our services could help you.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I explain what I do \u2013 to family, friends and acquaintances \u2013 it can be all too easy to disappear into a world of jargon and abbreviations.<\/p>\n

Job titles can also be unhelpful, rarely showing what\u2019s involved in a role or what experience is needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nSoftware, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here? - Quantiv<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"My life and career in software design and development.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here? - Quantiv\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My life and career in software design and development.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Quantiv\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-30T15:59:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-02T11:01:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Software-chocolate\u2026-and-wizards-how-did-I-end-up-here.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1255\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/\",\"name\":\"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here? - Quantiv\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Software-chocolate\u2026-and-wizards-how-did-I-end-up-here.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-30T15:59:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-02T11:01:17+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae9557a41be33f1eaf56706aad84de38\"},\"description\":\"My life and career in software design and development.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Software-chocolate\u2026-and-wizards-how-did-I-end-up-here.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Software-chocolate\u2026-and-wizards-how-did-I-end-up-here.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1255,\"caption\":\"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here?\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/\",\"name\":\"Quantiv\",\"description\":\"Software Solutions\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae9557a41be33f1eaf56706aad84de38\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4fefa596d89c6c7423e5a9837d44422?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4fefa596d89c6c7423e5a9837d44422?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here? - Quantiv","description":"My life and career in software design and development.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here? - Quantiv","og_description":"My life and career in software design and development.","og_url":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/","og_site_name":"Quantiv","article_published_time":"2022-03-30T15:59:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-02-02T11:01:17+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1255,"url":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Software-chocolate\u2026-and-wizards-how-did-I-end-up-here.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/","url":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/","name":"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here? - Quantiv","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Software-chocolate\u2026-and-wizards-how-did-I-end-up-here.jpg","datePublished":"2022-03-30T15:59:57+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-02T11:01:17+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae9557a41be33f1eaf56706aad84de38"},"description":"My life and career in software design and development.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Software-chocolate\u2026-and-wizards-how-did-I-end-up-here.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Software-chocolate\u2026-and-wizards-how-did-I-end-up-here.jpg","width":1920,"height":1255,"caption":"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here?"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/software-chocolate-and-wizards-how-did-i-end-up-here\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Software, chocolate\u2026 and wizards: how did I end up here?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/","name":"Quantiv","description":"Software Solutions","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae9557a41be33f1eaf56706aad84de38","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4fefa596d89c6c7423e5a9837d44422?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4fefa596d89c6c7423e5a9837d44422?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/quantiv.com"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1472"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1601,"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472\/revisions\/1601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}