Welcome to McWest

Custom Software the Right Way

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Specialities

Domain Knowledge

Nutrition and Health Promotion

Mathematical Optimization

Scientific Research

Public Sector

Methods

Agile Requirements Gathering

User Experience Design (UX)

DevOps

Optional Pair Programing

Test Driven Design and Development (TDD)

Rapid Prototyping

Agile Project Management Software

Continuous Integration and Delivery

Proactive Monitoring

Tools

HTML, CSS, SCSS, Angular JS & 5,

Javascript, Typescript, Bootstrap,

HTML_Codesniffer, Axe,

Java, Groovy, Spring, Hibernate,

Elasticsearch, Spock, Geb,

git, Bitbucket, Jenkins, VirtualBox,

Linux, MacOS,

SQL, flyway, etc

Big Data

Box Plots => data variability

Box plots can depict important measures of variability. The graph pictured here shows normality, skew, and kurtosis for multiple distributions. This allows the assessment of variability within a single distribution, as well as across multiple distributions.

Pie Charts => data proportions

Data proportions are used to show proportions of a whole.

Experience

Abilities

Consulting

Management consulting

Architectural consulting

Process consulting

Project retrospectives

Support

Staff mentoring

System monitoring

User training

Advanced technical support

Custom documentation

Development

Resource coordination

Requirements gathering

Software and database design

Source code and data management

Software and database development

Automated and manual testing

Usability testing / software validation

Server virtualization

Continuous deployment

Remote Development Teams

Service-Oriented Architectures

Portfolio

Private Sector

  • Manufacturing Execution System
    • 3M
  • Nationwide Operations Management Portal
    • Wells Fargo OTS
  • Web application data aggregator
    • BestBuy.com
  • PBM Market Share Rebate Program
    • Express Scripts

Public Sector

  • Food Ingredient List Parser
    • USDA Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
  • CATI Food Survey Software
    • External review (chairperson)
      • USDA (for NCHS)
    • Technical leadership, mentoring, and software development
      • Minnesota NCC
  • Food Formulation Module
    • USDA Nutrient Data Lab

Higher Education

  • Algorithm for estimating food ingredient proportions
    • University of Minnesota NCC
    • University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) FRP
  • Marketplace food nutrient data aggregator
    • Virginia Polytechnic University 
  • Agricultural food nutrient data aggregator
    • University of Maryland / USDA

McWest Way

McWest develops software using a unique process that integrates customer needs with information technology. The process has two goals: build the right thing, and build it right. We work toward both goals at the same time. Using agile methods, we try to understand your most important needs. And, using Test Driven Development, we iteratively and progressively write, test, and improve software that meets your needs. We call it “the McWest Way”.

  • If we pause customer cycle activities, it is harder to do tech cycle activities.
  • If we pause tech cycle activities, it is harder to do customer cycle activities.
  • Coding is driven by tech testing.
  • Specification and design are done best when customer and tech are working with each other.
  • Coding requires testing, testing does not require coding (e.g. refactoring).

About

Brian J. Westrich

Founder

Ph.D., Health Informatics

Brian founded McWest in 1997 to practice a unique way of developing software that is focused on and driven by user needs. He’s helped design and write numerous information systems, most notably nutrition systems for the University of Minnesota, the University of North Carolina, and the United States Department of Agriculture. For most of his career, Brian has promoted the Java software platform and Test Driven software Development (TDD) techniques. Brian has degrees in Nutrition and Health Informatics. He enjoys tennis and bicycling.

Robert W. Danek

Chief Technical Architect

Master of Science, Computer Science

Rob has decades of experience in agile development methodologies. He is an expert in the Java and Javascript development platforms and also has a deep understanding and practical knowledge of SQL database management systems. He enjoys coaching soccer, as well as cooking tasty wholesome meals for his wife and three boys.

Justin Hui

Developer

Master of Science, Software Engineering

Justin Hui is a full-stack web developer with a keen eye for detail. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring the Twin Cities as well as being out in nature.

Jimmy Fu

Developer

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science

Jimmy is an inquisitive and energetic software engineer with a strong foundation in math, logic, and cross-platform coding. He enjoys exploring new technology and spending time with his cats.

Contact Us

  612.508.1827

  info@mcwest.com

  Box 6621, Minneapolis, MN, USA