In this episode of "Inside VNA," join us as we delve into the inspiring journey of Alan Quigley, Senior Software Architect at Viscosity. From his early beginnings assembling computers in his father’s workspace to becoming a key player in software development, Alan's story is one of curiosity and passion. Discover how he transitioned from banking to healthcare software, and now thrives in the realm of supply chain solutions. With a love for problem-solving and a commitment to continuous learning, Alan embodies the spirit of innovation.
Can you tell me about your early beginnings and when your interest in software development started?
I started at one of the big five investment firms. They needed someone to work on their databases, so I volunteered and started learning. It was easy, and I got hooked. I loved it.
I went from writing backend code and basic queries to software development for a healthcare company. From the start, I was hooked — I’ve loved it ever since. It’s been a long time now, but I still enjoy solving problems and seeing happy customers.
Okay, so, how many years have you been in IT in general?
In IT, in general, I think I actually started back around 2002, when I was just 18. I built my first computer from parts my dad had when I was about 15 years old. So, I’ve been into computers for a long time. As for development and coding, it’s probably been 15 years. So, yeah, moving from hardware to software was definitely a really good decision.
I often ask what the first computer was, the model.
My father is an electrical engineer, so we’ve had computers since the 80s. The first computer I had was Linux Networks back then. It doesn’t exist anymore, but they built supercomputers. In the spring of 2000, they actually built the fastest computer in the world. And that’s where I started—working there assembling computers. My dad would bring home parts from the computers he didn’t need, and I’d repair them and then assemble them into working computers. So, my first computer was a disassembled supercomputer node. It sounds a bit silly now, but it was a lot of fun.
That’s quite an amazing start! Before you got into IT, did you get your educational background in that field? Or was it something else? What factors led you down this path?
I’ve always loved computers. I actually started with computer science in school. Then I got a job working on the software development and database side. I had a boss who convinced me that I didn’t need to get a degree since I was already working in the field. I was hands-on, teaching myself along the way. I did get an Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning certification from MIT, but besides that, I’m mostly self-taught. I just want to learn everything—I love it.
Is that the certification you just posted on LinkedIn?
Yes, it is. I just finished it.
How long did it take?
I had to do some prep work. I started in April, so it was about six months. I had to re-learn how to do calculus and statistics. It was a lot of refreshing. I also had to learn a new programming language.
Were these new things for you, like Python?
Yeah, I had never learned Python before. I learned everything from scratch. There was a short course where we could learn how to use it. I took that, then I continued and learned more. I loved it.
What are your expectations? How do you think this knowledge will help you in your career and projects?
I think it will help with the artificial intelligence we’re building right now. There’s a foundational understanding of how it works and how we’ll use it. I think it provides a good base to build new applications for clients or do something with Oracle. We could use it, hopefully.
My question is, I’ve been thinking about coding. You’re an expert. How do you recognize good code?
I always think good code has a lot of comments explaining what it does and why. If someone doesn’t know what they’re doing, or if the code isn’t good, they won’t know how to explain it. So, I always look for good comments — that’s what makes good code for me. If the code runs and works, it can be good. It may not be optimal, but it can still be good. I’m always looking for ways to improve things, and that’s what we do with our clients.
We check if something is running slowly — why? Is it a code issue? Is it an index? Is it too many things running at the same time? For good code, I always look for the right, correct way to do things and ensure there’s nothing unnecessary running. If you have a loop running through the code, make sure the loop is well-defined and not pulling in unnecessary elements. Things like that. Comments are number one for me.
Do you think software development is more art or science?
I think it’s both. I think it’s also like linguistics. You have to think about it... it’s like learning a different language. When you learn a new language, you have to think in that language. When you learn software development, you have to imagine how the system wants it. What’s the easiest way to get my point across? I think it’s an art. It’s certainly a science, but as you move forward, it feels more like an art.
How did you start working with Viscosity? How did you get here?
I’m on the Utah Oracle User Group Board. Five years ago, I was at our conference in Salt Lake City. I was the moderator for the Oracle APEX Q&A session, and I was with four other people. I would ask the questions, and they would answer. One of the people was Scott Spendolini. I had met him at other conferences and talked with him.
At that time, I was in a job where my position, or the application I was working on, was nearing completion, so I was looking for a new job. I called Scott and asked if there were any openings or anything available. He got back to me and said there was a position. I talked to him the next day, and that was it. It just came from volunteering in the community and connecting with people. I got lucky.
I like it because there’s always something new. With many jobs, after a while, you feel like you’re not progressing — you’re not learning anything new. It feels stale and repetitive. But I’ve never experienced that at Viscosity. There’s always room to grow. We’re always learning new things.
Some people try to withhold knowledge, thinking, 'This is my knowledge, and if I share it, it’ll make me less important.' That doesn’t happen here. We share what we know; we grow together. That’s one of the things I really like. You’re never ashamed to ask a question. If you don’t know something, someone else will, and they’re happy to help. We have great team members here.
What do you think about the clients you work with?
Our clients are great—they’re some of the best. I like that they trust us to help run their business. They know that if they have a question, they can ask it, and there’s no doubt whether the answer is correct. They say, 'I trust you because you know what you’re talking about.' And we never lead them astray; we never take them in the wrong direction.
Yes, trust is very important. Are there any projects you’re particularly proud of?
Absolutely. One of my favorite projects involves automating processes to save time. I’ve worked on various projects over ten years to save companies and people time from unnecessary processes that don’t require human intervention. Some of them involve working with a utility company to get live data.
Pulling in that live data and feeding it into an app so they can see their consumption—it’s a really cool project. It helps everyone. It helps the company know who’s using a lot and helps consumers understand if they’re overusing and why their numbers are what they are. Projects like that are valuable to see—not just to build well, but to use and enjoy."
I have many hobbies, though my wife isn’t a fan of all of them. We travel a lot and live in beautiful Utah, where numerous national parks are nearby. Weekend trips, even just driving into the mountains to stargaze, really help.
We currently host two foreign exchange students, which has been a lot of fun and helps us realize what’s important—key in combating burnout. We enjoy sharing experiences and the beauty of nature.
I collect board games and comic books, play golf with friends, and always seek out fun activities. I don’t like sitting still; I’m always moving. We walk a lot with our little dog, who weighs just 2 kilos and needs walks twice a day to burn off energy. It’s enjoyable!
Wow! It's inspiring to see how your interests outside of work contribute to your overall well-being and creativity. Speaking of which, how do you see software architecture evolving in the next 5-10 years?
I think we'll get help from AI. It will provide many suggestions to help us design and implement software architecture, which will be a game-changer. However, I hope it doesn’t change too much; I’ve finally figured it out! While I believe it will make things easier and introduce more tools, the core of architecture and development will remain relatively stable.
We’ll still need to carefully plan and decide what we need, what we don’t, where to place it, and how to market it. There will always be a human touch involved. Even if some designs and structures can be generated by software, I hope that the essence of what we do doesn’t shift too dramatically. Yes, AI can offer countless suggestions, and many jobs may become automated, but the creativity and insight of humans are irreplaceable.
Do you think it will be more about managing AI, or will we be designing it instead?
Absolutely, I believe we’ll be designing it. AI is going to play a crucial role in shaping our future. Right now, you can ask, “Here’s what I need; what’s the code to implement it?” That’s already exciting! But we will always need someone to make those essential adjustments, to say, “Okay, here’s what we need to change and how we’re going to do it.” I truly don’t foresee AI replacing developers entirely. There's something irreplaceable about human creativity and problem-solving. But who knows what the future holds? It’s a thrilling journey, and we’ll just have to wait and see.
Let’s see… I have a few hobby applications I've built, but one that I’d love to keep refining is an APEX application I created to track my collectibles. It pulls data from various APIs and tracks what I have, along with its value. I can graph those values to see if they’re going up or down, which is both exciting and a little nerve-wracking! Sometimes, I buy and sell to take advantage of deals, so it feels almost like an inventory system for my quirky collection. It’s a fun way to combine my passion with tech!
Fascinating! Is there anything you’d like to add before we wrap up?
I think the only thing I’d add is my diverse experience across different fields. I originally worked in banking, then moved into sales and retail, healthcare software, and now supply chain. Having navigated so many different areas has been incredibly enriching. It’s intriguing to reflect on the problems we face today and draw parallels to solutions I implemented back in the supply chain world. I find that those experiences have shaped my perspective and enriched my problem-solving abilities immensely.
Alan Quigley, a Senior Software Architect at Viscosity, brings over a decade of expertise in Oracle APEX and PL/SQL, delivering innovative solutions across industries like healthcare, logistics, and utilities.