The Lead Frontend Developer Behind Innovative Solutions At Tenece Professional Services

March 10, 2023 Mary

Albert Ago Tarkaa is a seasoned software engineer passionate about crafting visually stunning and functional web applications. With over five years of experience in front-end development, Albert leads a team of highly talented developers at Tenece Professional Services, where he delivers innovative solutions to clients from diverse industries.

Albert graduated from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering in 2014. He remains committed to lifelong learning and constantly seeks to stay ahead of the curve by acquiring new skills and exploring emerging technologies.

Albert is also a keen mentor and teacher who enjoys sharing his software engineering expertise with others. He is a contributor to Open Source and maintains a personal website that showcases his portfolio of projects, blog posts on web development topics, and a collection of poems that reflects his creative side.

Last week, Naija News sat down with Albert for an in-depth interview. During the discussion, we delved into the activities of Tenece Professional Services.

What is Tenece Professional Services, and what are its main products or services?

Tenece Professional Services is a company that provides technology solutions and consulting services to various industries and business functions. We help clients with enterprise transformation, digital innovation, software development, data analytics, cloud computing, and other innovative technological services. We partner with global technology leaders like Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, SAP, and AWS.

Our main product for the South-East Nigeria Strategic Business Unit is the SchoolManager solution and other complementing solutions like our Computer-based testing solution and eLearning solution.

That is impressive. Can you tell us about your experience as a Lead Frontend Developer at Tenece Professional Services and how you got started in this field?

I have about a decade of experience in front-end development. I started in this field after graduating from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering in 2014. I was always fascinated by how websites worked and how they could be designed to create visually stunning and functional user experiences. It led me to focus on front-end development, and I have been passionate about it ever since.

Although I am a full-stack software developer, I gravitate towards the front-end aspect of software application development. I am fortunate to work alongside a group of brilliant and skilled engineers, and together we create innovative products.

Can you tell us about your current role at Tenece Professional Services and the projects you work on?

I currently lead a team of highly talented developers at Tenece Professional Services. We deliver innovative solutions to clients across a diverse range of industries. My role involves managing the development process, ensuring that our projects are delivered on time and within budget while collaborating with other teams like the backend, QA and product design teams. I also work closely with our clients to understand their requirements and provide them with the best solutions.

How do you lead a team of frontend developers in developing and maintaining SchoolManager?

I lead the team by defining the project scope, goals, timeline, deliverables, roles, and responsibilities. I also regularly communicate with team members through various channels like emails, Slack, and other collaboration tools to monitor their progress, provide feedback, resolve issues, and motivate them. Sometimes we work remotely, so we rely on asynchronous communication. We also have short standups to sync with each other.

Can you tell us about your experience working with product designers and QA engineers?

Collaboration with product designers and QA engineers has been critical to my work as a Lead Frontend Developer at Tenece Professional Services. Working with designers has allowed me to participate in and witness the creation of compelling product designs and user experiences while working with QA engineers has helped me ensure high-quality standards are met. Collaboration is key to the success of any project, and my experience working with designers and QA engineers has helped me create successful products for the company.

Can you give an example of a project you worked on and how it impacted the company?

One of my most significant contributions was the development of SchoolManager, the company’s most successful proprietary product. I led a team of frontend developers in its development. Our efforts are revolutionising tertiary administrative processes, resulting in a more efficient and organised academic experience for students and staff. Through this project, we have enhanced the user-friendliness and organisation of the academic experience, ultimately improving the reputation of universities. The solution has been deployed to more than seven tertiary institutions in Nigeria, customising them to meet the specific needs of each institution. These solutions have over 75,000 daily users.

What is your experience deploying Tenece’s proprietary solutions to tertiary institutions in Nigeria? What were some of the feedback or outcomes that you received or observed?

I have had an exciting experience deploying Tenece’s proprietary solutions to tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Our process involves user research, requirements analysis, design prototyping, and user testing to understand each institution’s pain points, expectations, and preferences. I have successfully deployed customised solutions to more than ten tertiary institutions in Nigeria, implementing various features, functionalities, and integrations to suit their workflows, processes, and standards.

Regarding feedback and outcomes, I received positive user reviews about usability, reliability, and efficiency. There was also increased user adoption, engagement, and satisfaction, as well as improved academic performance and reputation of the institutions. The solutions I deployed included SchoolManager, Computer-based testing, Personnel Appraisal, websites, and eLearning/LMS solutions.

We have deployed solutions for universities like the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, The Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

That’s an impressive list of clients. What are some of the technologies you are currently working with, and how do you stay up to date with the latest developments in the industry?

I have experience in web development and mobile development. Some of the technologies I am currently working with include React, React Native, NextJS, TypeScript, Prisma, cloud tools, and headless CMS. I am always eager to learn about new technologies and stay up to date with the latest developments in the industry. I regularly attend conferences, read industry blogs and publications, and participate in online communities where I can learn from other developers.

Apart from your professional work, you have a personal website showcasing your portfolio. Can you tell us more about this and why you think it’s important for developers to have a personal brand?

Yes, I have a personal website where I showcase my work and share my knowledge with others. A personal brand is important for developers because it helps establish credibility and differentiate you from other developers. It also provides a platform to showcase your skills and accomplishments to potential employers or clients.

Can you tell us more about your volunteering experience with Genesys Tech Hub – Learnable?

I was privileged to participate as a mentor and a facilitator in a 6-month product development internship program with Genesys Tech Hub – Learnable for two consecutive years, in 2020 and 2021. As a front-end facilitator, I was to equip software programmers and product designers with the necessary skills to succeed in the industry. It was a free program open to all participants.

How did you adapt the internship program in response to the Covid-19 pandemic?

The Covid-19 pandemic posed a significant challenge, but we innovated around it and successfully adapted the internship program to make most of it virtual. I organised and held online sessions and crafted educational content, which allowed over 5000 interns to complete frontend courses online, surpassing the annual average of 500.

We started using tools like Google Meet, Slack, Teachable, Google Forms, etc., for conducting live sessions, Q&A sessions, group discussions, creating and uploading pre-recorded videos, and lectures, collecting feedback, evaluations, testimonials, etc. It was a rewarding experience despite the pandemic’s difficulties.

How many aspiring front-end developers have you mentored so far?

I have personally mentored and taught close to 500 aspiring frontend developers, and they are doing great across Africa, Europe, and North America, employed in places like Google, Microsoft, Flutterwave, Andela, and some of the big banks in Nigeria.

Can you share some feedback you’ve received from participants in the Learnable internship program?

The feedback I received from the Learnable internship program participants was overwhelmingly positive. They’ve reported outstanding success, which has been fulfilling for me as a facilitator.

Finally, what do you see as the future of front-end development, and what advice would you give aspiring developers just starting in this field?

I think the future of front-end development will continue to focus on creating fast, accessible, visually stunning, immersive, and functional user experiences. With the growing popularity of mobile devices and the increasing demand for responsive designs, developers will need to be able to create applications that work seamlessly across different devices and platforms. I advise aspiring developers to focus on learning the fundamentals of web development, stay up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and never stop learning.

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-tarkaa/