The
International House of Desktop Mark Sweet
Swipe, pause, click. The
card reader releases the door lock, and another day begins in
Desktop.
The room is half dark; 'BR'
must not be in yet. I flip the second light switch on and fully
illuminate my home away from home, the place I spend almost a third
of my life: Room TS -112. I see a few of the early birds. They groan
when the rest of the fluorescent lights power up and blast their eyes
at 7:30 in the morning. These are the guys who come in early to get a
jump on the day, or maybe rather just to ease into it.
Desktop is a unique
workplace. If you were to ask almost anyone at AMC what Desktop does,
the answer would most likely be, "they fix computers". On the
surface, at first glance, that is true; the main mission of Desktop
is indeed to fix computers, to keep them up and running. If someone
is unable to do their job a patient can't be checked in, a label
can't be printed in the Emergency Department, a medical history
can't be pulled during an operation or worst of all, a bill can't
be sent out. But there is more to Desktop than just fixing computers,
and I'd like to shine some light on these unsung heroes and what
it's like to be a Desktop technician.
When fully staffed, Desktop
is made up of seventeen staff members who have amassed a combined
total of over 165 years of experience resolving computing issues and
satisfying customers. Of the seventeen, thirteen are responsible for
service and upkeep on the 7,500 computing devices (not including
monitors) at AMC. This equates to roughly 575 devices each of these
technicians personally maintains. The other four people who are part
of the Desktop team are BR - Desktop Manger; JS, who is almost
single-handedly responsible for all new computer replacements of
outdated models; AG, who is responsible for inventory, assigning
equipment, work orders; and myself. I place equipment orders, work
with vendors and customers, assign assessments, and work on projects
or with project teams as needed.
Along with their regular
duties, there are four technicians who have another job for which
they alone are solely responsible. BR has christened them "czars."
'JS' is the Disposal
Czar, responsible for disposing of any asset which is no longer of
use, outdated, or just not worth fixing and has no book value. JS
goes through everything with a fine-tooth comb. His work must be
spot-on and includes all paperwork, warranty information, and
updating inventory. All of this is then reported to Corporate
Finance; no mistakes when it comes to the money!
'MW' is our Loaner Czar.
MW has a pool of printers, desktops, monitors and laptops which can
be utilized as temporary replacements for an area when they have a
device that's down and they can't function without it. He is
responsible for keeping these in working order, tracking, and making
sure they are returned so they can be used again at a moment's
notice.
'CB' is the Executive
Tech Czar. He's responsible for the upkeep, troubleshooting and
repair of executive's devices. CB must ensure each executive's
device is in perfect working order, and all software is constantly up
to date (the location and any changes must be logged in a
spreadsheet). He is on call and available any time there is a problem
or need for our executives.
Along with being CB's
backup for the executives, 'BM' is the AV Czar, responsible for
the all audio video equipment at AMC. Smartboards, overhead
projectors, cameras, video, podiums, conference rooms and more - BM
owns them all. If there is a press conference you'll find him
there. Graduation ceremonies? Check, he's there, "White Coat"
ceremony, yep, there too.
Each tech also brings their
own individual talents to the department. These talents may not be
part of a job description, but you'd better believe they're
valuable to the team.
'JW' is our resident
technical researcher. Got a weird problem? Maybe something that's
never been encountered before? JM is the go-to guy. If he hasn't
seen it or already knows how to fix it, then you've got a tough
one! JW will dig in, grab hold of it, wrestle
it into submission and get to the bottom of it. If JW can't fix it,
it probably can't be fixed.
'AJ' knows almost every
system inside and out. He's been there and done that, and done it
again. AJ knows the key players in each area and has worked on most
of their problems or projects. He knows the right way, and the best
approach for those applications needing to be installed or fixed. We
have hundreds of applications at AMC. AJ knows them all, and is a
great source for that piece of knowledge you might be missing to get
it done right.
'SE', aka "Really Tall
Guy"; RTG for short (no pun intended). SE is not only the tallest
member of Desktop (no, he doesn't play basketball) but he also is a
great go-to guy. Need something done, and done fast and quick? Give
it to SE. He'll ask the important questions, get the needed answers
and get the job done. He is well respected in his territory by the
staff he serves. They know his word is good, he'll get the job
done, and he'll give a straight answer when asked. SE started as a
volunteer at AMC in Desktop and we knew in a few weeks he was
full-time material.
'AH' is our resident
geek. No, not THAT kind of geek. AH came to Desktop from the Geek
Squad. Aside from his outstanding customer service skills (try going
to an angry customer' house to fix a problem on their turf). AH has
tremendous knowledge and is always willing to share and offer
solutions to the team. AH is also Mac trained, which in and of itself
is worthy of awe. PC and Mac specialties usually don't go together,
but with AH they do - and good thing, too; he's the guy we turn to
for our many Mac questions. Be it an iPad, iPhone or Airbook, Drew
knows his stuff.
'TS' I like to call TS
The Godfather. TS is the wily veteran of Desktop. He's calm,
collected and cool. He is customer service personified. Walk through
the institution sometime with him. You better have a lot of time
because EVERYBODY knows him and loves him. He is the mayor of AMC. He
will do anything you ask him. TS never dodges the hard ones, never
gives up. He keeps his cool under pressure and keeps the Team level.
His positive attitude and level-headedness can calm a
group in no time. He thinks before he speaks, and when he does,
wisdom comes out. He never arrives or leaves TS112 without giving me
a "Hi, Sparky He's a true team leader.
'YS' - YS worked for
the Iraqi government in better times and Desktop is lucky to have
him. YS is a workhorse. He gets it done. He comes in early, busts his
behind and doesn't shy away from anything. He has the greatest
sense of humor and he knows his tech stuff inside, outside, upside
and downsides. What more could you ask for? We don't and won't
hire just anyone for Desktop. YS fits in like a baseball fits into a
well-worn glove.
'MJ' is our resident
bookworm. I personally think he's on a quest to obtain every
certification available. MJ has a lot going on and is always in the
middle of something. If he's not working on a call or project, he's
offering up advice and ideas to the team or helping JS with
disposals. He has a huge knowledge of everything from cell phones to
cost-saving ideas. Don't let his Jamaican accent and cool persona
fool you, he's calm and low-key, but he's got the ideas.
Next is 'AG'. AG
owns and runs a martial arts school and is a Tae Kwon Do master.
Martial arts take a lot of discipline and it shows in AG's
personality and work. AG is a very focused and positive individual.
He is responsible for keeping the inventory levels at AMC where they
need to be, cutting down wait time for equipment needs. He keeps
track of all the technology assets in production as well as in
inventory in TS112 and the AMC warehouse. He also handles billing,
vendor repair, and more. It takes a very detail oriented person to
keep it all straight. His data must be spot on, no mistakes, as it
too is reported to the money counters in Corporate Finance. Ask him
and he can tell what we have, where it is and when we need more
without a second thought. When you talk to AG you'll notice he
talks and asks questions in a very deliberate manner. You can tell he
listens, absorbs and then gets you the answers needed.
And then there is 'GW'.
GW should have
his own personal biographer following him around. GW has done it all
and typically, not exactly as planned. Very rare is the day when
there isn't a GW story being told. You can't go to an event where
Desktop is present and not hear one. GW has set a fire truck on fire.
GW has driven a fork lift off a loading dock. He has pinned himself
against a fence with a hole auger. GW has knocked himself out cold
while tearing down his porch. He has tripped over his dog and broken
his wrists. However, GW is resilient, and always bounces back. I'm
pretty sure he's part bionic now. One of the great things about GW
is he's an AMC old timer, not age-wise, but rather his experience.
Maybe he hasn't been here as long as some of the others on the team
but GW has experience with almost every application or piece of
hardware at AMC. If it's here, GW has installed it, fixed it, and
then shared the knowledge. He never forgets. Remember that app from 3
years ago that only one person had and couldn't get it working? No?
Well GW does and he remembers the fix, too. Next time you see him,
ask him about the day his deaf and blind dog got loose.
Leading this motley crew is
'BR' AKA "Tickets". I don't recall who christened BR with
the Tickets moniker but I know why. BR is the traffic cop of Desktop
and he stands in the middle of a superhighway of a nonstop barrage of
issues. Aside from daily operational duties, time off requests,
missed time clock punches and so forth, BR deals with a litany of
items daily which is truly staggering. Customers calling to ask
questions, complain, the boss calling with an emergent situation, new
sites to set up with a short deadline for go live. BR directs the
flow and keeps it moving. Every job I've mentioned above and those
who own them - BR is responsible for it all. That, my friends, is a
very hot seat to sit in.
There are others who have
been a part of Desktop, each leaving a part of themselves before
continuing along in their career. A few who come to mind are 'TB',
with his quiet and reserved personality yet possessing a vast arsenal
of skills and wealth of information which he shared with the team.
'JH', whose quick mind and math abilities never ceased to amaze
me and upon whom I relied daily. There is 'DB', with possessor of
an infectious smile, charm and a salesman-like personality. I think
DB could sell oil to Saudi Arabia. Aside from the few I've
mentioned, a multitude of others have been passed through the
department, some still working with us but in different locations
now, each helping to shape and mold Desktop into the well-oiled
machine it has become.
I hope I've shared a
little of the Desktop personality because that's what it is, a
living breathing entity. There's always a fire to put out, a
customer to placate and an interminable problem to resolve. Most
times, it is far from fun; some people would assert that a job isn't
supposed to be fun. Regardless, we all come in, we all do our work
and we make the most of it. We grumble, we gripe and yes, we laugh.
My teammates have more on
their plates than I can recall and no I've doubt I've left many
things out which escape me now. They are my second family. They are
my friends. They work hard to keep things up and running - and I'm
proud to be associated with each one of them.
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