Assess your knowledge of business management mechanisms, processes, tools, and strategies. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Keep up-to-date with the latest trends in knowledge management through reading of periodicals, networking, Internet research, and other methods.
• Identify knowledge requirements and describe how they can most effectively be met.
• Describe the process involved in transforming a business environment to a culture committed to sharing knowledge and emphasizing integration, connection, and collaboration.
• Explain the impact of a company's strategy, objectives, culture, vision, etc. on knowledge management.
• Define and implement processes for sharing, researching, creating, exchanging and applying information and knowledge within an organization.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the various strategies and tools used to manage unstructured information and knowledge within an organization.

Assess your knowledge of business processes. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe fundamental business processes (sales, marketing, accounting, finance, IT, etc.) and how they relate to the total success of an organization.
• List and diagram the steps in the business process and show the handoffs involved.
• Diagram the workflow, identifying bottlenecks and efficiencies that exist.
• Explain the workflow and process steps to others to encourage recognition of how all activities fit in with the overall process flow.

Assess your knowledge of a specific company including its products, services, business strategies, culture, vision, strengths, etc. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Gather information from knowledgeable parties within the organization.
• Demonstrate basic knowledge of all current and new services offered by the company (e.g. gather information as necessary regarding new services).
• Maintain an awareness of current business strategies and objectives.
• Discuss how products and services are sold and delivered to business clients.
• Define the company's value to outside parties.
• Articulate how the company is uniquely structured to service and meet the needs of its target market.
• Explain the goals, objectives, and final deliverables associated with relevant past and current projects.

Assess your knowledge of legal processes. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Define, classify and discuss the fundamental principles and sources of the current legal system.
• Maintain current knowledge of state and federal regulations, constitutional checks and administrative agencies.
• Describe the court system and any alterative means of dispute settlement.
• Describe the pleadings and discovery phases of the legal process.
• Describe the trial and appellate processes.
• Discuss market and legal controls of business.

Assess your familiarity with the manufacturing business processes listed above including project manufacturing, discrete and batch manufacturing, repetitive, flow and continuous operations. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Keep up-to-date with the latest trends in this business area through reading of periodicals, customer interactions, Internet research and other methods.
• Describe the various manufacturing functions and processes.
• Describe the major problems and issues of the manufacturing industry based on your personal knowledge and work experience.

Assess your knowledge of e-Business. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Define e-Commerce and compare it to e-Business.
• Explain how e-Business can streamline business processes and the benefits that can be gained.
• Discuss the challenges of implementing e-Business solutions.
• Discuss how implementing e-Business impacts relationships with clients, partners, employees, and other stakeholders.
• List the stages in the e-Business cycle and discuss what is accomplished in each stage including how the new economy, new organization, and new technologies drive one another.
• Explain how current trends affect e-Business.

Assess your ability to employ e-Marketplace solutions. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Understand the fundamentals of the e-Marketplace, such as many-to-many relationships between buyers and sellers.
• Utilize techniques for facilitating business-to-business relationships, aggregation of buyers, and aggregation of sellers, auctions and reverse auctions.
• Understand the relationships of marketplaces to portals and how to leverage portal functionality in a marketplace.
• Deploy order fulfillment, order tracking, settlement, Internet payment mechanisms, Internet security and trust.

Assess your ability to manage change in an organization. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Conduct a change assessment to measure the impact of change on an organization (e.g. employee interviews, surveys).
• Anticipate the impact of change on employees and identify ways to increase acceptance.
• Create and implement a change communication strategy and plan to prepare for change.
• Prepare employees for upcoming changes and communicate what changes are required, the reasons behind them, and the anticipated time frame for implementation.
• Create a formal transition plan related to upcoming changes as needed.
• Recommend modifications in employee related programs and policies to management in line with proposed changes (e.g. job titles, task reassignment, new compensation plans).
• Create and maintain a change scorecard as required.
• Evaluate acceptance of change and continue to communicate the reasons for the changes until they have been satisfactorily adopted within the organization.

Assess your ability to evaluate business processes. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Gain an understanding of the needs of the organizational unit as they relate to the processes currently in place.
• Determine what processes need to be reviewed based on business plans and objectives.
• Gather pertinent process documentation for review and/or view the process in action.
• Determine if a process needs to be modified or replaced.
• Conduct process mapping.
• Document findings and present recommendations to the appropriate parties.
• Gain approval for any changes, additions, replacements, or deletions.
• Create and monitor a new process/modified process rollout/implementation plan.

Assess your ability to successfully identify and recommend ways to improve a process or processes consistent with operational objectives. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Gather process improvement ideas by researching industry practices and documenting ideas from internal sources.
• Identify new processes and the areas in which they have been implemented, determining the positive and negative lessons learned by the addition or change.
• Evaluate the new or changed processes for adoption by a business unit or organization.
• Develop a set of criteria and evaluate and prioritize process improvement ideas based on the criteria.
• Determine the impact of new processes on an organization, including financial, cultural and operational factors.
• Recommend adoption of a new or changed process when appropriate and aligned with operational and business objectives.
• Gain approval for a recommended process improvement.
• Ensure that the process is defined and applied to the methodology.

Assess your ability to analyze workflows. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Based on functional expertise, determine all of the sub functions of a primary function using decomposition methods.
• Determine how the sub functions are being handled, whether they are outsourced, not needed, or need to be added.
• Use interviewing techniques, research, and industry knowledge to gather process and functional data.
• Determine how each sub function should be accomplished in terms of the process being performed.
• Document the high level processes indicating problem areas and areas for improvement or change.
• Document workflow including dependencies, problem areas, and areas for improvement or change.
• Continually research what is going on in all functional areas for new processes, technologies, methods, and workflows.
• Use tools to document the analysis of workflow and distribute to others as required.

Assess your knowledge and understanding of capacity planning. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe the components and processes of capacity planning for client/server or mainframe environments.
• Identify the acceptable level of network response times for typical applications.
• Outline your organization's policy regarding the balance between performance demands and network response times.

Global communication and information exchange is one of the main benefits of the Internet. E-mail has become an indispensable personal and business tool. Other communication and information exchange uses of the Internet include file transfer, Internet phone, newsgroups and video conferencing.

Assess your ability to communicate using the Internet. As an expert without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Install Internet access and communications software.
• Design and manage the appropriate mix of SLIP/CSLIP (Compressed SLIP)/PPP, ISDN, and IP protocols for your network.
• Manage the Internet applications (e.g. e-mail, Internet phones), the addressing and the domain names.
• Evaluate Internet service providers.

Assess your ability to design a data network. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Identify common data communication systems and transmission media.
• Choose the best method of transmission based on your organizational needs.
• Compare different types of networks and select one according to your requirements and current hardware specifications.
• Use the ISO/OSI model, including both the lower and higher layers, to design the proper protocol stacks for your network.

Assess your ability to install, maintain and administer network devices. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Identify the uses of various media connectors and adapters.
• Describe the types of available network interface cards (NICs) and the network architectures they support.
• Configure a modem to enable it to connect to a network.
• Combine several digital signals into one stream using a multiplexer.
• Configure and know when to use the following: repeaters, bridges, routers, brouters, gateways, switches, etc.
• Describe the functions of CSU/DSUs (Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit) in interconnecting networks.
• Prepare reports outlining proposed network configurations.

Assess your knowledge of client/server technologies. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Explain the role of SQL (Structured Query Language) in client/server environments.
• Compare the fat and thin client/server architectures.
• Compare the two-tier and three-tier client/server architectures.
• Explain what transactions are.
• Explain the role of network monitors and protocol analyzers in a client/server environment.
• Describe the basic concepts of object-oriented technology.

Assess your knowledge of ISDN. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe ISDN architecture and standards.
• Explain how to manage data-link connections.
• Discuss ISDN applications and services.
• Define ISDN standards and how they affect network configurations.
• Explain the roles of the Digital bit pipe and the NT1 box.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using different Bandwidth standards.
• Explain how ISDN can support multiple independent channels by time division multiplexing of the bit stream.
• Describe the two principal standards that exist for ISDN: a low bandwidth for home use and a higher bandwidth for business use supporting many channels.

Assess your knowledge of Intranets. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Understand how the Internet works and how it can be adapted into an Intranet.
• Describe various Internet applications, how they work, how they are configured and how they could be adapted to an Intranet application.
• Explain different types of intranet security and how to solve security issues.
• Describe how to conduct a network needs assessment.
• Describe the different network configurations and architectures that could be implemented in an Intranet.

Assess your knowledge of Local Area Networks. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe enterprise operating system principles and technologies.
• Explain the main components of a LAN and the characteristics of LAN media.
• Explain LAN Topologies and access techniques.
• Outline the key components of wireless LAN technologies.
• Define IEEE, Ethernet and token ring networks.
• Discuss the latest trends surrounding network architecture.
• Specify IEEE standards, and configure networks to these standards.

Assess your knowledge of Network Architecture. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe system design objectives and performance criteria.
• Identify and evaluate hardware and software networking alternatives.
• Understand the use of products that allow for problem diagnosis.
• Recognize procedures for identifying and handling security breeches.
• Discuss characteristics of the existing infrastructure.
• Understand design reviews and how they translate into viable implementations.
• Evaluate the results of the infrastructure implementation.

Assess your knowledge of network configurations. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Select appropriate software for communication within the network.
• Explain the differences between transparent bridges (Ethernet), Source route bridging (Token Ring), and Remote bridges.
• Explain how Ethernet is a 10 million bits per second CSMA/CD base band technology defined by the IEEE 802.3 family of standards.
• Describe how a Token-Ring network uses a token-passing approach to network access.
• Outline the features, advantages, and disadvantages of peer-to-peer networks.
• Discuss the main principles of signal transmission.
• Compare the different types of cable media.
• Describe the principle methods used for creating wireless LANs.

Assess your knowledge of Network Hardware. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe common hardware components such as network adapter cards, EIA-568, and IEEE 802 standards.
• Describe common network products and concepts such as Token Ring, FDDI/CDDI Copper Distributed Data Interface, 10BASE-T, 100BASE-X, 100VGAnyLAN, and switching hubs.
• Explain how all these components should conform to standards and specifications that ensure their efficient operation.

Assess your knowledge of Network Protocols and Standards. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Explain the purpose of the OSI reference model and name its layers.
• Describe the purpose of IEEE 802 series in relation to the OSI model.
• Describe the standard format for the LLC protocol data unit (PDU).
• Compare the use of frames in both connectionless and connection-oriented data transfer.
• Describe the value of state variables and the retransmission list.
• Outline the IEEE 802.3 standard Ethernet networks.
• Discuss the various aspects of the IEEE 802.5 Token Ring.
• Describe the differences between FDDI, ATM, and High Speed LANs.

Assess your knowledge of TCP/IP. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Understand the configuration of a DHCP for multiple subnets.
• Explain the routing used by TCP/IP, distinguishing between direct and indirect routing, and differentiating between core and non-core gateways.
• Describe how a DNS maps IP addresses.
• Describe the TCP/IP protocol suite and its relation to the OSI/IP model.
• Identify common TCP/IP-related problems.

Assess your knowledge of WANs. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe WAN access, cell-based, packet-based and fast packet technologies.
• Provide an overview of the technologies based on frame relay and cell relay and assess their application in networks.
• Discuss the different protocols that can be used in Wide Area Networks.

Assess your ability to administer a network. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Identify the interconnection needs of an organization's resources through LAN configuration.
• Organize the security of networks by selecting the appropriate security software that ensures appropriate password encryption, firewalls, and other security mechanisms.
• Determine user accounts and levels of authority.
• Discuss the principles and concepts of performance optimization, with particular attention to automatic and manual optimization.
• Operate SNMP v2 protocol analyzers and RMONs.
• Implement appropriate network security software and firewalls.
• Discuss performance optimization and performance monitoring of both NT Server and the network, using Performance Monitor and the Network Monitor.

Assess your network analysis abilities. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Interview users, managers, and developers to determine current and future requirements for volume and response time.
• Research the specifications of servers, workstations, wiring closets, software, etc., to determine the costs and capabilities of network components.
• Prepare diagrams and documents detailing the current network implementation including media, equipment, servers and software.
• Compare and document current capabilities to future requirements.

Assess your ability to manage data. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Distinguish between referential and entity integrity.
• Discuss how the data structure design is critical to effective decision making.
• Describe Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD) and their function.
• Explain Data Warehousing and the purpose of queries and metadata.

Assess your knowledge of the design of databases. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Design a database model, using a suitable modeling technique.
• Map an entity relationship diagram to the relational model.
• Carry out all the stages of the normalization process.
• Identify the problem with third normal form and solve it, using Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF).
• Decompose a table into several BCNF tables using the technique of functional determinacy diagrams.
• Illustrate how physical and logical independence at the conceptual level facilitates dynamic database evolution.
• Draw up a suitable model for an enterprise, as a result of strategic planning.

Assess your knowledge of database management. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Classify users into the privilege levels, create users with access to the database and grant and revoke privileges.
• Describe the functions of data dictionaries, views, audit trails, and transaction logs as security mechanisms.
• Distinguish between referential and entity integrity, and state whether particular operations contravene integrity rules.
• Identify and create primary keys, identify foreign keys, and create an index for a table.
• Identify three concurrency problems that may arise in relational systems and suggest locking solutions that avoid deadlocking.
• Distinguish between media and system failures, explain the consequences of transaction failure, and outline the key elements in transaction recovery.
• Explain the storage structures used at the internal level and relate space allocation to database performance.
• Explain the concept of optimization and identify the steps in processing and optimizing a SQL query.

Assess your knowledge of Database Programming. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Understand database queries and data handling using SQL.
• Categorize SQL into three component languages and indicate the functions of each.
• Use the SELECT command to retrieve data.
• Use the built-in functions available in SQL to refine database queries.
• Retrieve data from two or more tables, using joins and sub queries.
• Describe and use the data manipulation commands INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE.
• Describe how to embed SQL in a C routine using the EXEC SQL command.
• Use data definition commands to create, manipulate, and remove base tables, indexes, and views.

Assess your knowledge of computer architecture. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe: SISD, SIMD and MIMD.
• Describe the difference between a super scalar and super pipeline architecture.
• Know the different causes of pipeline bubbles (stalls) including control, data, and structural hazards.
• Know the differences between a memory mapped I/O and a separate I/O address space.
• Evaluate the trade-offs between a shared memory and shared nothing (cluster) multiprocessor.
• Analyze a system's requirements and determine its proper computer architecture requirements.
• Contrast and evaluate different computer architectures to determine the trade-offs involved in each selection.

Assess your knowledge of data security. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Discuss methods of securing data in extensively shared, distributed systems.
• Discuss the following terms: bounded propagation, data integrity, inference control, and public-key cryptography.
• Discuss the differences between symmetric and asymmetric encryption.
• Explain the knapsack scheme.
• Describe how to manage hard disks in Windows NT with the Disk Administrator utility.
• Describe ways to make a network secure.
• Describe the management of security policies.
• Describe how to implement file and folder security.

Assess your knowledge of N-Tier Technologies and Architecture. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Discuss how enterprise application architectures have evolved and what trends industry analysts are projecting in the future for application architecture.
• Understand how N-Tier related technology is applied to knowledge-based business processes.
• Discus how the N-Tier application structure implies the client/server program model.
• Discuss the advantages of N-Tier applications and explore, in technical detail, the critical requirements for building effective multi-tier applications.
• Evaluate application servers for your environment and development project.

Assess your knowledge of Software Architecture. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe the purpose and components of an operating system.
• Explain databases and database management systems.
• Describe terms such as OSI, GUI, indexes, keys, kernel, pixel and HTML.
• Describe a real time system.
• Define systems and applications software and explain functions.
• Explain the importance of application software.
• Describe the evolution of programming languages.

Assess your knowledge of e-Commerce. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe the e-Commerce framework.
• Identify issues regarding e-Commerce security.
• Understand consumer payment protocols.
• Describe the business-to-business infrastructure.
• Discuss the effects of e-Commerce on banking and finance.
• Describe legal issues surrounding e-Commerce, including copyright, patents, and trademarks.

Assess your ability to use Internet and Intranet software such as web browsers and e-mail applications. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Understand the nature of the World Wide Web and be able to use and configure a web browser.
• Find, download, and print relevant information from the Web.
• Send and receive e-mail and manage address books and distribution lists.

Assess your ability use Microsoft Access. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Create multi-table queries using related tables.
• Set up table relationships.
• Set up sub forms.
• Design, modify, and enhance a form's appearance.
• Create and run macros.
• Create hyperlinks and HTML documents.
• Share and secure databases.
• Link and import data.

Assess your ability to utilize Excel to create and manipulate data. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Create a new chart.
• Sort data.
• Modify, format, and print charts.
• Sort and filter a list.
• Create and modify outlines.
• Record, run, and edit macros.
• Format rows, columns, and numbers.
• Create and use formulas.

Assess your ability to use Internet Explorer. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Access a web site by manually entering a URL or by doing a search.
• Use and understand the concepts behind streaming radio and video.
• Understand the idea of plug-ins and how they enable viewing of animation, etc.
• Configure security features such as secure socket layers (SSL), digital signatures and certificates.
• Configure advanced features such as print settings and script disabling.
• Send, receive and customize e-mail.
• Identify sources of built-in help.
• Understand the concepts of cookies and the use of the history file.

Assess your ability to utilize the essential features of Outlook. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Communicate effectively using Outlook's powerful e-mail facilities.
• Use the Outlook scheduling feature.
• Customize mailing options.
• Use public and personal folders.
• Set up and configure the Outlook Express newsreader.
• Create and install Outlook forms.
• Work with e-mail, personal folders, and address books.
• Share information, work remotely, organize work, and synchronize schedules with others.

Assess your ability to create presentations using PowerPoint. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Create, edit and rearrange text on PowerPoint slides.
• Import and export data.
• Review and print a presentation.
• Run a slide show.
• Create graphs and organizational charts.
• Add speaker's notes to a presentation.
• Use PowerPoint on a network or the Internet.

Assess your ability to use MS Project for project planning, task scheduling, resource planning and evaluation. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Define project management and its phases.
• Create a project file.
• Create, organize, and modify a project schedule.
• Assign and manage resources.
• Format and print a project.
• Apply filters.
• Factor costs into key decisions regarding project management by adding cost information to a project plan.
• Estimate costs and apply work contours when assigning resources to tasks. .

Assess your ability to use Windows. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Install Windows on a stand-alone system using express and custom setup.
• Utilize advanced features and tools.
• Interface with other software products.
• Understand the various functions and features of each version of the Windows family.
• Determine methods for avoiding and/or dealing with common Windows failures.

Assess your ability to use Word to create and manipulate documents. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Create and edit documents using the different versions of Word.
• Generate mail merges.
• Create and modify forms.
• Create multiple versions of a document.
• Record and run macros.
• Create and modify headers and footers.
• Modify page layout in a document.
• Create and use worksheets and charts.

Assess your ability to use Netscape Communicator. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Access a web site by manually entering a URL or by doing a search.
• Explain the difference between Netscape Communicator and Netscape Navigator.
• Use and understand the concepts behind streaming radio and video.
• Configure and use Netscape e-mail, messaging and chat.
• Configure security features such as secure socket layers (SSL) and digital signatures and certificates.
• Configure advanced features such as print settings and script disabling.
• Identify sources of built-in help.
• Understand the concepts of cookies and the use of the history file.

Assess your ability to utilize the Internet. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe the main Internet applications including: e-mail, news groups, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and the World Wide Web (WWW).
• Conduct a search of Internet resources using a search engine (e.g. AltaVista, Lycos, etc.)
• Utilize e-mail services to read, delete, send, forward and reply to messages from both the same and different domains.
• Interpret domain names, subscribe to, contribute to, and unsubscribe to a listserv, and understand the uses of listservs.
• Use FTP to transfer files and programs from remote locations to the host machine.

Assess your ability to utilize web browsers and their functions. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Utilize and configure features and tools such as bookmarks, history, toolbars, etc.
• Understand web site navigation and hyperlinks.
• Utilize search functions to locate information on the World Wide Web.
• Understand security issues.

Assess your ability to analyze and design software products. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Distinguish between processes and entities.
• Identify the objective of an analysis.
• Compile a list of the processes in a system, and identify transaction rates.
• Compile a list of entities in a system, group them into categories, and identify entity volumes.

Assess your application analysis abilities. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Identify and describe the business requirements through written or verbal communications.
• Identify and describe the current application and environment in which it is running.
• Identify what changes need to be made or new processes that need to be developed.
• Produce, at a minimum, a conceptual design that shows the system scope, overall architecture and relationship with other systems.
• Define the test strategy that will be used for the system or project.
• Work with I/T and other departments to analyze business and technical issues including impact on other applications.

Assess your ability to design applications. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform most or all of the following:

• Create design specifications for coding based on business requirements and specifications.
• Describe and use principles of modular design.
• Prepare designs in accordance with architectural principles and guidelines.

Assess your knowledge of life cycle software development. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe each of the phases and define the key tasks that take place in each one.
• Describe how each stage of life cycle development is implemented.
• Identify possible deliverables that may be produced at each stage of the life cycle development.
• Recognize the scheduling issues involved in life cycle development.

Assess you ability to use C to create applications. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Write code appropriate for target platforms.
• Show how to use different kinds of variables.
• Use expressions and statements correctly.
• Write flow-control statements without sequencing errors.
• Write ANSI C programs for text, string, and array processing.
• Write ANSI C programs for processing aggregate data objects individually, in arrays, and in lists.
• Write advanced, efficient ANSI C programs using pointers.
• Implement dynamic memory allocation.

Assess your ability to develop programs using C++. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Explain the use of inheritance in C ++.
• Create applications using the elements of object-oriented programming.
• Dynamically create objects within C++.
• Describe polymorphism and virtual functions.
• Create C++ programs that transfer data to and from a file.
• Use control structures in C++.
• Convert data types.
• Implement friend relationships, containment relationships, and associative relationships.

Assess your ability to develop a conceptual data model. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe the terms entity and relationship as they relate to data modeling.
• Determine and define applicable entities.
• Determine and name entity relationships.
• Define the attributes of entities.
• Using appropriate tools, develop an entity relationship diagram.
• Analyze user information requirements.
• Validate your model.

Assess your ability to analyze data. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Determine what data should be stored, shared, and integrated, and what type and format the data is.
• Review existing reports, programs, databases, file specifications, etc. as data sources.
• Determine type of storage media on which data is located including extraction methods based on storage type.
• Determine how the data is described and classified, and if it needs to be transformed.
• Determine how data from various sources is related and document the relationships.
• Determine what data is calculated rather than stored.
• Determine the integrity of the data and what security individual pieces of data should have.
• Document your findings using appropriate tools and methods.

Assess your ability to design data for use by databases and applications. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Define the data entities so that developers and administrators will know what the data is and how it will be used.
• Determine what attributes the data will have (e.g. type and format).
• Establish any conventions in spelling and naming that will apply.
• Ensure that each data element is independent and has one and only one meaning.
• Create and administer a data dictionary.

Assess your ability to develop queries and reports in a data warehouse environment. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Determine an organization's query and reporting requirements.
• Determine what tools to use to meet customer query and report needs.
• Query and report from relational data sources.
• Provide for impromptu web based ad hoc queries of relational data sources using hyperlink navigation.
• Provide for analysis and reporting of OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) data sources using standard interfaces or web browsers.
• Document your query and report solutions.

Assess your ability to architect a software product. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Determine system design objective and performance criteria.
• Determine system features, functions, and services.
• Establish communications models and protocols.
• Establish security features.
• Develop an information architecture model which partitions the client and server services.
• Conduct management reviews and obtain agreement on the architecture framework.

Assess your ability to use SQL Server to design and develop client/server applications. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Design, develop and deploy a SQL Server database that meets specifications.
• Setup tables, relationships, and primary and foreign keys to support application and reporting specifications.
• Set up the proper indices.
• Prepare and deliver ERDs and other appropriate documentation to the customer.
• Load and test client data.
• Transfer your knowledge of the schema design to others as required.
• Design the migration to the next higher version of the database software.

Assess your ability to develop software requirements for full life-cycle development, packaged implementations, custom enhancements or package modifications. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Conduct interviews and brainstorming sessions for requirements collection.
• Create clear, concise definition documents and requirements specifications.
• Appropriately document results from interviews and brainstorming sessions for easy conversion to design documents.
• Participate in Joint Application Development (JAD) sessions for requirements collection and validation.
• Create clear, concise definition documents and requirements specifications.
• Defining and documenting technical solutions based on achieving specified business goals.
• Use requirements definition database tool as appropriate.
• Reprioritize requirements based on ongoing development and feedback.

Assess your ability to design and develop applications using Oracle. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Explain the differences between SQL and SQLPlus.
• Describe single-row functions and how to obtain data from multiple tables.
• Explain the types of sub-queries, how to produce reports, and to introduce DML statements.
• Explain how to create and maintain database objects.
• Illustrate the use of constraints and show how to control user access.
• Explain the advanced features of PL/SQL.
• Explain the concept of a composite database, and to show how to use cursors and handle exceptions in PL/SQL.

Assess you ability to design GUI's. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Describe the principles of graphical user interface design.
• Differentiate between effective and ineffective interfaces.
• List and describe standard attributes of a window environment.
• Develop effective navigation through the interface.
• Know in what situations to use color, graphics, audio, and animation.

Assess your ability to design web sites and use the Internet with a focus on security. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Decide on the most appropriate web server deployment strategy for your Intranet or the Internet.
• Estimate communications bandwidth requirements.
• Describe how an Intranet site may be integrated with, but protected from, the Internet.
• Describe the administration tasks associated with maintaining a web server.
• Explain how operating system security contributes to web site security.

Assess your ability to create applications using the Java programming language. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Program applets and applications using Java.
• Describe the Java Database Connectivity architecture, how database connections are controlled using drivers, and how databases are queried.
• Describe Java's two solutions for allowing objects to communicate over a network - RMI (Remote Method Invocation) and IDL (Interface Definition Language).
• Create an application using Java that can interact with images, animations, and sounds.
• Use objects, classes, methods, and messages to explain object-oriented principles and methodologies.
• Describe the structure of a Java class, outline the properties of an object and its interfaces, and explain exception handling.
• Describe Java packages, how these packages are used in applications, how threads are synchronized in Java, and how Java programs are internationalized.

Assess your performance analysis abilities. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Perform crude performance estimates.
• Identify potential causes of bottlenecks in a multitasking, multiresource environment.
• Specify and write performance test cases (benchmarks).
• Use available tools, both hardware and software, to gather performance statistics.
• Apply performance improving techniques (e.g. caching, blocking, read ahead, locality of reference).
• Identify the common case and optimize for it.
• Use statistical analysis in regards to the gathered measurements.

Assess your knowledge of software processes and principles in world-class software organizations. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Explain the principles of software engineering.
• Understand the role of the software process.
• Define software development life cycles.
• Explain the stages of common life cycles.
• Understand the concept of software reuse.
• Explain the concept of software re-engineering.

Assess your ability to program software systems or applications. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Define variables in various scopes for a programming language such as C, C++, or Visual Basic.
• Design Internet and Intranet applications using web-based languages such as Java and JavaScript.
• Describe the design features of object-orientated languages.
• Understand Distributed Component Principles and Technologies.
• Understand and use threading and memory allocation, if applicable.
• Utilize memory sharing techniques.
• Describe the difference between 3rd and 4th generation programming languages.
• Debug compiled code using monitors of variables and program steps.

Assess your ability to design and develop applications using relational databases. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Contrast relational databases with those based on the hierarchical and network models, pointing out the advantages of the relational model.
• Evaluate a DBMS in terms of its relationality (as defined by Codd's rules) and its functionality.
• Use the criteria of uniqueness and minimality to identify suitable candidate keys in relational tables and use these to select a primary key.
• Identify traditional set and special relational operators and demonstrate their usefulness.
• Describe the three-layer architecture of the relational model and explain how this structure ensures layer independence.
• State the referential and entity integrity rules, identify when they are breached, and relate integrity rules to the requirements of the real world.

Assess your ability to manage software projects. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Explain the processes involved in the initiation phase of a project and the development of an overall project plan.
• Understand processes involved in developing and managing the scope of a project.
• Describe in detail the process of resource allocation and how cost, work, and time estimates are developed.
• Understand the concepts of scheduling with particular reference to CPM/PERT and other quantitative methodologies.
• Examine the procedures whereby goods and services may have to be procured from outside sources for the project.
• Describe the processes of identifying, quantifying, and responding to risks.
• Describe in detail the processes of project quality planning, quality control, and quality assurance.
• Identify, document, and assign roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.

Assess you ability to support software development. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Use configuration management tools for specific projects.
• Assure separation of development, test, and production environments.
• Create a software configuration management plan, either manually or with software.
• Design and implement an archive process.
• Understand the issues involved with, and be able to implement, source code control.
• Evaluate and select a problem tracking system.
• Maintain levels of project test data in databases.

Assess your ability to test a software product through the appropriate stages of its development. Consider your ability to lead a test team through a successful product test. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Create test plans and test cases for each phase of the testing cycle.
• Use techniques such as white box, black box, boundary, load, and stress testing.
• Unit test a module or low level object.
• Test a component or similar grouping of objects.
• Perform systems tests, regression tests, integration tests, and acceptance tests.

Assess your ability to apply the Visual Basic language in the development of applications. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Use advanced features such as building libraries and application frameworks.
• Design and develop software using Visual Basic.
• Code, test, debug, and document programs written in Visual Basic.
• Work with existing VB classes and methods.
• Create and modify classes.
• Use ADO to implement database access.
• Incorporate Microsoft or third-party Active-X components.

Assess your ability to develop XML languages and documents. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Write a DTD (Document Type Definition) defining an XML language.
• Explain how XML relates to HTML and SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language).
• Create "well-formed" and "valid" XML documents.
• Use XML related technologies such as CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language).
• Use programs to read or work with XML documents (e.g. parsers, converters, databases, XML editors, etc.).

Assess your ability to install, configure, maintain and tune Novell Netware. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Understand the main features of service and support.
• Provide maintenance and administration to storage devices, network printers, network cabling.
• Maintain and secure the NDS.
• Install the various components of the Novell NetWare system.
• Understand the differences between the various Novell Netware versions.
• Understand security considerations within the Novell Netware Operating System.

Assess your ability to monitor, tune and administer an Oracle database. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Explain the steps needed to set up a new Oracle database.
• Discuss the relationship between an entity relationship diagram and the associated database objects.
• Construct the data dictionary.
• Describe the database structure and storage parameters.
• Assign end-users and privileges to the system.
• Explain database segments and constraints.
• Perform a database audit.
• Perform an incomplete recovery operation in the appropriate situation.
• Perform logical backups of the database when using the Export and Import utilities.
• Use the necessary tools to identify, correct, and protect against system loss.

Assess your ability to administer SQL Server databases. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Install the database on a variety of hardware platforms.
• Tune the database for optimal performance.
• Setup indices where required.
• Maximize throughput.
• Perform user administration and perform basic backup tasks.
• Prepare complete database documentation including data dictionary, data flow diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams, and functional specifications.
• Document the installation in detail and train customers to take over administration tasks.

Assess your ability to install, configure, and maintain UNIX. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Work with Unix files and file systems.
• Use UNIX Editors to manipulate files.
• Administer the user environment
• Use process and data utilities.
• Provide administration to various Unix based operating systems such as HP-UX and Sun Solaris.
• Customize your UNIX environment.
• Perform advanced editing tasks using vi.
• Manage disk space by compressing and archiving files.

Assess your ability to install, configure, and maintain Windows NT Server. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Install and initialize NT on a variety of hardware platforms.
• Upgrade current network operating systems with the newest version.
• Perform system administration tasks including user administration, password synchronization, sharing and permissions.
• Integrate the server into an existing network (e.g. NT, NetWare, Unix, etc.).
• Monitor network traffic, tasks and resource usage.
• Tune the server for maximum performance and gather system resource information (e.g. device drivers, IRQs, DMAs, IO addresses etc.).
• Develop and implement a backup strategy for multiple NT servers.
• Document the complete installation including what was done during administration and tuning.

Assess your ability to report on help desk issues. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Use change logs, issue logs, and status reports to share problem status information.
• Determine the content of status reports.
• Establish responsibility for the production of status reports.
• Determine the frequency or schedule of reports.
• Use the reports to evaluate help desk effectiveness.

Assess your ability to implement an Apache HTTP Web Server. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Determine how to use the server to meet e-Commerce business requirements.
• Configure a server based on intended use - Intranet or Internet, according to specifications.
• Recommend the proper equipment configuration.
• Set up and install the server with the correct operating system software.
• Thoroughly test the server, troubleshoot and resolve all issues to a satisfactory conclusion.
• Determine that the server is performing properly and tune it if it is not.
• Perform all administration functions correctly.
• Perform all necessary documentation and knowledge transfer tasks.

Assess your ability to analyze accounts payable and to account for it using general accounting principles, procedures, and practices. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Understand current accounting practices.
• Ensure all expenses are authorized and allowable.
• Receive and enter purchase orders (POs).
• Match purchase order to invoice and verify that all goods and/or services were received as ordered.
• Process vendor invoices on a timely basis ensuring proper approvals and adherence to policy.
• Post invoices to general ledger.
• Generate all disbursement batches (checks and transfers) on a scheduled basis.
• Perform the reconciliation process and provide analyses as required.

Assess your ability to calculate high accuracy budgets and manage effectively to budgets. As an expert, without assistance you should be able to perform the following:

• Discuss the purposes and benefits of budgeting.
• Discuss the costs of budgeting.
• Explain the planning and control functions of revenue budgeting.
• Prepare and discuss various types of budgets.
• Outline the uses and importance of capital budgeting.
• Identify the appropriate budgeting strategies for a series of business situations.

Assess your ability to analyze financial information and apply it to business decision making. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform most or all of the following:

• Describe the purpose and key concepts of financial analysis.
• List the external sources of information that support financial decision making, and explain their importance to this process.
• Explain how financial analysis can be used to evaluate corporate and managerial performance.
• List the micro level (operational) decisions which are particularly contingent on financial analysis.
• Explain the importance of comparing business results to budget plans.
• Outline alternative ways of analyzing performance.
• Perform horizontal and vertical analysis on financial statements.

Assess your knowledge of financial processes. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Keep up-to-date with the latest trends in your business area through reading of periodicals, customer interactions, Internet research, and other methods.
• Determine common financial requirements and describe how they are normally delivered.
• Describe the basic accounting functions and principles (AR, GL, AP, etc.).

Assess your accounting ability. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Understand and apply GAAP.
• Perform contemporary accounting practices.
• Identify the external stakeholders in a business and the kinds of accounting information they require.
• Identify internal stakeholders and their accounting needs.
• Describe the financial accounting subsystem.
• Describe the management accounting subsystem.
• Discuss the issues involved in international accounting.
• Discuss ethical issues with regards to accounting.

Assess your ability to manage the accounts receivable function for an organizational unit. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Ensure clients adhere to agreed upon payment terms, and billing statements are sent out to clients as needed.
• Ensure that billing and payment issues are tracked and resolved.
• Review accounts receivable for potential payment problems (e.g. routinely review A/R aging reports to detect seriously delinquent accounts).
• Determine and implement appropriate steps to address seriously delinquent accounts.
• Monitor results of vendors assisting with the collection process, and take steps to correct unsatisfactory performance.
• Assist with credit/rebilling efforts as necessary (e.g. obtain needed documentation, seek required approval, adjust client charges, follow up to ensure timely processing).

Assess your ability to account for payroll liabilities taking into account the items discussed above and the use of accounting principles, procedures, and practices. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Maintain current knowledge of changes in deduction regulations, deadlines, and tax requirements.
• Keep accurate and up to date information on personnel for payroll purposes.
• Issue manual or electronic payroll checks correctly calculating all income sources and appropriate deductions.
• Understand the details of employee medical insurance plan.
• Issue Record of Employment (ROE) as required.

Assess your ability to assess how current documentation is meeting customer requirements. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Conduct interviews with business analysts, users, and developers to learn how the documentation supports the subject matter, including the appropriateness of the layout and organization.
• Review how users are using the documentation to support their activities.
• Document your findings.
• Prepare and distribute your findings to appropriate individuals for validation.
• Recommend changes and enhancements, if appropriate, based on your findings.
• Gain customer approval to implement the changes.

Assess your graphic design abilities. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Concisely and thoroughly document the client's media assets.
• Communicate graphic concepts to a client through rough sketches, proofs, blueprints or document maps.
• Develop identity logos according to rigid specifications for electronic deployment and re-adjust the graphic system to work with a new or existing corporate identity.
• Develop graphics in an appropriate format for use digitally, such as over the Internet.
• Design graphic interfaces for electronic applications including CD-ROM, web sites and kiosks that satisfy the client and meet specifications.
• Use expert typography skills to layout text provided by copywriters that satisfy user expectations and fulfill specifications.
• Integrate existing marketing campaigns as required.

Assess your ability to efficiently manage materials. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Develop a deployment strategy and framework (e.g. based on the types and variety of documents, develop an organizing strategy to facilitate efficient retrieval).
• Develop a revision strategy to support business goals or international standards.
• Develop a method to track where paper documents are kept and establish and enforce a check-in and checkout procedure for both electronic and paper documents.
• Gather requirements for a documentation management tool (e.g. off-the-shelf or custom developed).
• Ensure that documents that are available electronically are properly filed in the repository database.
• Secure electronic files to ensure they cannot be removed or deleted without authorization.
• Ensure that all critical documents are backed up either electronically or with a second paper copy.
• Demonstrate ability to develop materials management strategy to support ISO 9000, QS9000 and other international standard initiatives and enhance compliance.

Access your ability to design technical documents. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Analyze and develop procedures for creating technical documentation.
• Conduct interviews with business analysts, users, and developers to determine what content should be included in the document.
• Incorporate design techniques as appropriate (e.g. fonts, color scheme, white space, balance).
• Create and maintain style sheets.
• Prepare and distribute design drafts for review.
• Validate appropriateness of requested changes and incorporate them as needed into designs.
• Gain client design approval.

Assess your ability to administer benefit plans. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Process plan enrollments, coverage changes, and terminations in an accurate and timely manner.
• Provide adequate answers to employee/vendor questions regarding the plan(s) (e.g. coverage questions, billing concerns).
• Troubleshoot benefit plan concerns/problems, referring major issues to management as appropriate (e.g. legal concerns).
• Review invoices for accuracy and submit to management ensuring the timely payment of bills (e.g. run system reports to review accuracy).
• Assist with the communication of benefit plan information.
• Gather internal and external information regarding benefit plans and provide to senior management (e.g. informal feedback regarding program effectiveness from employees and management, recommendations regarding new benefits and/or changes to existing benefits).

Assess your ability to direct and coordinate branch operations. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Explain any policies and procedures to appropriate branch personnel as required.
• Make sure that branch personnel can find, explain and carry out policies and procedures in all areas (i.e. disaster recovery, purchasing, housekeeping, telecommunications, security, mail, space, travel, meetings, national vendors, etc.)
• Introduce changes that have a positive effect on operations.
• Make inspections to assure that branches are administered consistently and in accordance with quality standards.
• Document any deviations from standards and take appropriate action to bring branch operations into compliance.
• Notify branch and unit management of compliance to standards.
• Benchmark operations against other companies (i.e. survey participation, reviews, round tables, etc.) to find new, beneficial processes and programs.
• Perform any knowledge transfer tasks as required.

Assess your business development abilities. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Assist and/or lead specific branch business development activities.
• Develop strategies and competitive differentiation for specific solution offerings.
• Determine which companies to target, gather critical information regarding client's critical success factors and current/future challenges and business needs.
• Build relationships with targeted companies.
• Understand and participate in all stages of the pursuit management process.

Assess your ability to manage business relationships. As an expert, without assistance, you should be able to perform the following:

• Cultivate new client opportunities and determine if a relationship should be established.
• Expand networks through participation in professional and industry associations, community activities, and indirect sales or marketing activities.
• Profile potential clients to build an understanding of their business needs.
• Use your knowledge of the client's business objectives and current situation to identify new opportunities and to meet current needs.
• Maintain an open channel of communication to ensure continued satisfaction (e.g. keep abreast of how projects are going, find out if needs are being met, resolve issues/concerns).
• Identify and meet with client's key decision makers to build relationships.
• Serve as the client's primary contact.
• Advise the client on business issues helping them look beyond the present and positioning them for the future.