Core Protocols

No endless consulting, no retainers, no corporate theatre. I diagnose the problem, figure out what can actually be fixed, and pick the cases worth getting my hands dirty with.

Operator Infrastructure

1. Root-Cause Analysis & Process Automation

I trace problems back to their actual source, untangle broken workflows, and automate the repetitive work that shouldn't be done by humans in the first place.

2. Database & Application Diagnostics (SQL / Oracle / Custom Systems)

Slow queries, deadlocks, broken applications, data issues, and databases that nobody wants to touch. I dig into the problem, identify the bottleneck, and repair what can be repaired.

3. Power BI & Fabric Architecture

DAX that takes forever, data models that have grown into monsters, broken dataflows, gateway failures, and dashboards that should have loaded thirty seconds ago. I diagnose, refactor, and optimize the underlying model.

4. SharePoint & Nintex Engineering

Broken workflows, permission nightmares, failing forms, and legacy SharePoint setups nobody wants to inherit. I trace the failure, repair the workflow, and clean up what makes sense.

5. VBA Archaeology

Resurrecting critical Excel macros, debugging ancient automation, and making sense of undocumented spaghetti code that somehow became business-critical.

6. Cross-App Integration Glue

When two systems refuse to talk to each other: broken APIs, dead webhooks, failed data syncs, and integrations held together by hope and duct tape.

7. WordPress & Custom Code Repairs

Broken layouts, mobile bugs, Elementor conflicts, CSS disasters, and theme-level problems that somehow survived this long.

Selected Operations

A few problems that required more than following the obvious path.

01 — The Missing Data

Problem: Power BI users were seeing incomplete data. Records that should have been there were simply missing.

Diagnosis: The investigation went backwards through the entire data pipeline — source files, ETL transformations, mappings and filtering logic. The failure was eventually traced to a mapping table generated from a CSV file with an incorrect format, causing valid data to be filtered out.

Resolution: The process was traced end-to-end, the faulty mapping was corrected, and the underlying process was repaired so the failure could be understood rather than simply patched.

02 — The Locked WordPress

Problem: A WordPress site using Elementor was effectively inaccessible to its owner. The previous developers had left without providing administrator credentials, leaving the new developer unable to work on the existing installation.

Diagnosis: Instead of abandoning the existing system and starting from scratch, access was restored through available server/FTP access by creating a new administrator account. The undocumented WordPress installation was then reverse-engineered to understand how the existing system worked.

Resolution: What started as an access-recovery job became a complete intervention: redesign, HTML/CSS/PHP modifications, system cleanup, and implementation and configuration of a complete gift-voucher ordering system.

03 — Excel → Power BI Automation

Problem: A reporting process relied heavily on manual Excel work before the data could reach Power BI.

Diagnosis: The entire reporting workflow was mapped from source data through processing, authorization and final reporting. The goal was to redesign the process as a complete pipeline rather than automate isolated steps.

Resolution: The reporting process was automated from Excel into Power BI, including process mapping, solution design and authorization logic. A writeback process was also implemented, allowing data to be written back through the Power BI / Fabric environment.

04 — 60+ Excel Files

Problem: An old VBA-based solution had grown into an ecosystem of more than 60 Excel files, handling automated document generation and distribution.

Diagnosis: The existing VBA logic and dependencies had to be understood before anything could safely be changed. The system covered Excel-based processing, PDF generation and automated email distribution to predefined contacts.

Resolution: The legacy solution was redesigned and modernized while preserving the underlying business process and automated document flow.

"If it's broken, tangled, or deemed unfixable by others, send over the parameters. I'll find the root cause, tell you what can be done, quote the fix, and execute."

The Operator

ID: Z.H. // OPERATOR
Protocol Ninja Operator

For over 12 years, I’ve worked deep inside complex corporate and technical environments, mostly around data, systems, automation, and the problems that appear when all of them meet. Protocol Ninja is the side operation — the kind of work I take on when a problem is interesting enough to get my hands dirty.

No public name attached — keeps my day job separate from the work I do here. If we end up working together, you'll know exactly who you're dealing with.

No Corporate Bureaucracy

Tickets, meetings, approvals, dependencies — sometimes they're necessary. But when a technical problem needs solving, they can also turn a simple fix into a weeks-long process.

Protocol Ninja is deliberately different. You send me the problem, I investigate it, and if it's something I want to take on, we deal with it directly.

From Enterprise to Edge

I don't particularly care whether the problem lives in an enterprise database, an Excel macro, a Power BI model, a SharePoint workflow, an API, or a WordPress theme. The interesting part is figuring out why it broke in the first place. Some problems have a clean fix. Some need a workaround. Some aren't worth touching. That's what the diagnosis is for.

Have something weird, broken, or stubborn? Send the parameters.

Operational Workflow

A simple 3-step process. First, we find out what’s actually broken. Then I decide whether it’s something worth taking on. If it is, we fix it.

Step 1: Triage

Tell me what’s broken, what you expected to happen, and what actually happens. Include whatever logs, screenshots, error messages, or technical details you already have. If the problem is too tangled to explain in writing, we can jump on a quick Microsoft Teams or Zoom screen-sharing session and map it out live.

Step 2: Verdict

I investigate the problem, assess whether I can actually solve it, and decide whether it’s a case I want to take on. If the answer is yes, you get a clear resolution plan and a fixed price before any work starts. If it’s not a good fit, I’ll tell you — no pointless engagement, no hidden fees.

Step 3: Execution

If we proceed, I do the actual work — fix the issue, test the result, and verify that the system behaves as expected. If your environment doesn't allow external access, I'll provide a precise implementation blueprint for your internal team instead.

No-Risk Pricing

I don't sell hours. I sell solutions. Once the problem is understood, you get a clear scope and a fixed price before any execution begins.

Post-Resolution Payment

Zero upfront retainers. Zero hourly billing surprises. Once triage is complete and we agree on the scope, I give you a fixed price for the work. Payment is due after the agreed solution has been implemented and verified in your environment.

Direct Dispatch

Have a technical problem that needs solving? Send the details directly. Tell me what you're working with, what went wrong, and what you've already tried.

Cybernetic Katana

Required Format

1. Environment: (e.g., SQL Server 2022, Power BI Service, WordPress, SharePoint, internal system, etc.)
2. Pain Point: (What is broken, slow, failing, or behaving unexpectedly?)
3. Attachments/Logs: (Error messages, screenshots, code, logs, or anything else that may help)

SEND DISPATCH EMAIL

* Every dispatch is reviewed personally. I selectively take on problems that match my focus, complexity, and available time.

contact@protocol.ninja