Rakesh Kikani, Developer in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Rakesh Kikani

Verified Expert  in Engineering

Data Engineer and Developer

Location
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Toptal Member Since
July 9, 2021

Rakesh is a data engineer, lead database administrator, and data architect with more than 15 years of experience in MS SQL Server (2000 to 2019), SSIS, SSRS, reporting services, VB, Windows Server, Visual Studio, PowerShell, SQL optimization, and big data. Comfortable working in fast-paced, high-tech environments, Rakesh possesses robust technical skills in various areas of IT and is currently pursuing his interests in Python, machine learning, Power BI, and Google Analytics.

Portfolio

Zoetis - Main
SQL, Alteryx, Microsoft SQL Server, Distributed Databases, Cloud...
Dermalogica
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)...
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
C#, SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Python 3, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Experience

Availability

Part-time

Preferred Environment

Windows, Amazon Web Services (AWS), SQL, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), PostgreSQL, MySQL, Windows PowerShell, Python 3, Python, Business Intelligence (BI)

The most amazing...

...thing I've done was a complicated calculation to generate a ring network max load for a distribution network; later, I applied for IP and copyright protection.

Work Experience

Data Engineer

2022 - 2023
Zoetis - Main
  • Migrated over 150 data sources and 350 Alteryx workflows, together with SQL legacy code, to Azure Cloud-based solution using Azure Data Factory and Azure Databricks.
  • Completed migration, reducing workflow time from 18 hours to 6 hours through code optimization and rewriting.
  • Prepared complete database for all dashboards, including data sources, transformation workflows, schedules, business ownership, and dependencies.
  • Achieved migration on time by ensuring all necessary information was readily available and prepared.
  • Addressed and resolved over 2,000 tickets and requests received from team members and end-users.
Technologies: SQL, Alteryx, Microsoft SQL Server, Distributed Databases, Cloud, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake, Tableau, PySpark, Python API, Python 3, ThoughtSpot, ADF

Data Engineer – SSIS (via Toptal)

2022 - 2023
Dermalogica
  • Converted 90+ Alteryx workflow into an SSIS package, using SQL and C# for full automation. It uses API to download data from different sources into JSON and XML and moves to normalize the forms for accounts, general ledger, reporting, and analysis.
  • Involved in five Google Analytics API workflows, 18 Oracle Cloud Planning API workflows, eight Phorest API workflows, five RingCentral API workflows, 60 Shopify API workflows, and three office safety API workflows.
  • Converted an existing workflow from Alteryx to SSIS, saving the company almost $200,000 per year.
  • Made the SSIS packages fully configurable to accommodate future changes with minimal code change and easy deployment to the development, test, or production stages using configuration tweaks.
Technologies: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Shopify API, Oracle Cloud, Alteryx, Google Analytics API

Database Analyst

2016 - 2022
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
  • Architected the server and database infrastructure to support over 10 million transactions per month and received various substations' equipment.
  • Performed complicated calculations to automatically generate a network ring maximal load for the DEWA network and applied IP and copyright protection for the project.
  • Oversaw all aspects of the database design, implementation, administration, and support processes to ensure data assets' availability, interoperability, and stability.
  • Delivered over 20 complex web and database system assessment projects with schema design, creation of SPs, views, users, user permissions, data access layers, data integration, and data reporting.
  • Contributed to the database server clustering for high availability of different domains and different usages like dev, test, stage, utility, and production.
  • Managed database security, which involved the design, development, and implementation of automated encrypted data backup.
  • Implemented data warehousing for historical data to analyze and identify power consumption requirements and make decisions accordingly.
  • Contributed to SQL trace and statistics capturing to enhance performance and optimize stored procedures and queries.
  • Implemented the auto-synchronization from the SCADA server to multiple servers for data population and machine learning for forecasting.
  • Created a data-sharing solution for APIs via XML and JSON.
Technologies: C#, SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Python 3, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Expert Database Administrator

2011 - 2016
Allscripts India Pvt. Ltd
  • Developed a new data migration tool called Copy Configuration to migrate configuration data from a source to a target, saving clients a lot of effort. The client can easily set up, from a demo to a fully functioning version, in less than a day.
  • Oversaw the database server administration, including upgrades, service packs, space verification, replication or mirroring setup, validation, database backup and recovery, user creation, SQL code checks, and SQL maintenance plan.
  • Conducted the performance tuning of all the instances, designed the database, and validated newly developed modules.
  • Mentored a team that developed the SSIS package and SSRS reports and deployed them on different servers.
  • Set up a data warehouse for historical data and analytical solution for billing-related information.
  • Followed an Agile methodology while working in a team of over ten developers.
  • Led a project module that included development, unit testing, integration, and support.
  • Delivered quality work while meeting strict deadlines.
Technologies: SQL Server 2012, SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

Senior Software Engineer

2010 - 2011
IgatePatni Limited (Formerly Patni Computers Ltd)
  • Led software consulting and guided team members in resolving problems, schema design, development, and server deployment.
  • Created reports, stored procedures, views, and functions, fixed defects, and validated code.
  • Developed and maintained the existing DTS and SSIS packages.
  • Performed database tuning and optimized stored procedures.
Technologies: C#, VB.NET, SQL, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

Senior Software Engineer

2010 - 2010
Rishabh Software
  • Developed over 20 complex reports, stored procedures, and functions, including a report integration with a financial app and SSIS development for data integration and migration.
  • Found and fixed bugs in TFS and assigned them back to QA for further validation.
  • Received client appreciation for fixing 18 defects in a single day to ensure that the new release met the deadline.
Technologies: SQL Server BI, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

Database Analyst Integrator

2007 - 2010
Augure India
  • Integrated over 50 different providers from more than ten countries with various sources and structures into standard Augure format and automated the integration and data validation.
  • Designed and created a new database that included developing functions, triggers, and a backup-restore database for a new content provider.
  • Integrated a new content provider, tuned a database, and optimized stored procedures.
  • Designed and developed a contact biography using the MSSQL reporting service.
Technologies: SQL Server BI, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

Software Engineer

2005 - 2007
Reliance Industries
  • Developed over five applications in VB 6.0 and SQL Server for an in-house bobbin manufacturer, which involved product tracking, quality tracking, rejection management, and an IT help desk.
  • Implemented an SQL Server using SP, views, functions, and trigger writing and performed database administration such as database backups and SQL jobs.
  • Developed Crystal Reports helping top management with making decisions.
Technologies: VB.NET, VB, SQL Server 2005

Ring Network Max Load

In this project, we received data from three different sources, integrated it in one place, and then performed many calculations to generate each ring wise network max load.

We also compared data from different sources and surfaced discrepancies which helped the engineer with manual verification and reduced the time by nearly 80%, and improved quality and efficiency.

This project has since applied for IP and copyright protection.

One Minute Approval

Once a department issues a project order and the contractors are hired then the next task is acquiring the required materials. Verifying materials and management of contracts are tedious tasks for engineers so we chose to create something that would make verification and approval an automatic process.

The basic process is that a contractor sends material-related data, the system parses the email, performs the necessary validation, and then approves or rejects the material based on the validation; it also sends immediate feedback to the contractor. This tool also has an audit functionality.

The project was a success and was sent as an innovative project for Dubai Smart Solution.

TOD and Busbar Switching

Here our goal was to implement automatic switching based on a substation's outage or busbar outage. We wrote an algorithm to generate the switching steps and the workflow for the switching approval process. Our work improved the quality and saved around four man-hours per switch. This was significant as there were 20-25 switches per day which meant that this saved 80-100 man-hours per day.

Solar and Consumption Forecasting

In this project, data is collected from the NCMS (National Center for Meteorological Supercomputer) and we forecast solar generation using an algorithm. The system also uses history consumption data from a SCADA database and did consumption forecasting using machine learning based on time-series data.

This work helped the generation department with their planning and generation of electricity.

Sunrise Financial Manager

Sunrise Financial Manager (SFM) is a solution that enables hospitals and health systems to manage their revenue in an integrated way across the enterprise. It's a complete financial integrated tool that helps to track financial information at every level for each patient. It has several different configuration modules which can help the end user to manage rule-based data, e.g., transaction entries, billing, insurance, claims, HL7 integrations, and so on.

Delphi from Newmarket, Inc.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4061882.html
The Delphi application is basically a type of hospitality management software. This app is used by large hospitality companies that need to extend visibility and account control across their entire enterprise—whether across a city, throughout the country, or around the world.

CCH Reports | WoltersKluwer Group

https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en-au/solutions/cch-intelliconnect-apac/accounts-and-financial-reports
CCH Reports generates dynamic reports for global tax and accounting industries. It allows the user access to relevant cases, legislation, forms, precedents, and practical directions to help navigate complex issues.

Hub Migration

With Hub Migration, users can integrate various content providers' data, cleanse duplicate or wrong data, maintain data change history, migrate data into the Augure standard layout, and deliver CSV or XML files to the Augure application.

Comdata

The Comdata application imports news (provided by content providers), processes it, and delivers it to a client application. The whole application is built on three different modules, i.e., a news import service, a CRUD web application, and a delivery web application.

The news import service reads source URLs for news and imports the data into
a ComDATA database. Once the news is imported then a CRUD application does QA to check whether the news meets certain conditions or not. Once the news is validated it's marked as deliverable.

Bobbin Tracking System

This bobbin tracking system was designed to be a complete online tracking system for texturing machine production (in terms of yarn bobbins) which can produce about 65,000 bobbins per day.

The software ensures that product property information flows smoothly from the machine to the packing area to avoid mixing and production loss. We also used a process of barcode stickers and scans at various checkpoint stations.

Management Information System

This management information system was designed to hold all the information about the machines, raw material quality, finished product quality, machine utilization, total production loss, total production, managerial reporting, and more.

Languages

SQL, VB, HTML, Excel VBA, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Python 3, C++, C#, XML/XSLT, VB.NET, C#.NET, PHP, Stored Procedure, Visual Basic 6 (VB6), Python

Libraries/APIs

Shopify API, Google Analytics API, PySpark, Python API

Tools

Microsoft Excel, TFS, Google Analytics, Microsoft Power BI, GitHub, Tableau, SQL Server BI, Crystal Reports, Tableau Desktop Pro

Platforms

Windows, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Alteryx, Jupyter Notebook, Oracle, Azure

Storage

SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), SQL Server DBA, Database Architecture, PostgreSQL, SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), Oracle Cloud, MySQL, SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2012, SQL Server 2000, Microsoft SQL Server, Distributed Databases

Other

Information Systems, Data Engineering, Excel Expert, Technical Leadership, Big Data, SAP, Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA), Machine Learning, Cloud, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Azure Data Lake, ThoughtSpot

Frameworks

Windows PowerShell, .NET 4, ADF

Paradigms

Business Intelligence (BI)

2001 - 2005

Engineer's Degree in Information Technology

Veer Narmad South Gujarat University - SVMIT, Bharuch, India

MARCH 2007 - PRESENT

Microsoft Certified Database Administrator

Microsoft

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