Meet Herb.
He’s been an IT engineer with Aindale Business & Technology/KTD for over 10 years, and has a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as some excellent stories, to share.
Herb, a dedicated schools engineer, like all our school Engineers is fully DBS checked, starts his day with a pre-planned visit to one of our customers. At Aindale/KTD we schedule our physical visits to provide on-site support up to a year in advance so that our schools have complete visibility of their plan, and to ensure our time spent on-site at school is dedicated and uninterrupted.
Herbs first port of call is “The Book” (a method that we find most schools like to use), where, coffee in hand, he checks to see if any staff have noted any particular IT issues, if there are any new requirements or requests for support etc. “The Book” is used for non-emergency requirements and ensures Herb can get stuck in and that any issues aren’t overlooked or forgotten since the last visit. Herb always reminds the staff that they don’t have to wait between visits if they have an issue, they can call Aindale/KTD in real time and have instant access to support if they need it. They tend not to though, unless it’s something very urgent – they just like having Herb there!
Herb is fully focused on the school he’s visiting, no phone calls dealing with other customers, or replying to emails – that’s all handled back at Aindale/KTD HQ. As well as planned visits, we’re always available back at Aindale/KTD in case of emergencies when something goes wrong, or you have an unplanned Ofsted visit, or you just need us!
Fully caffeinated by now, Herbs first job of the day is to physically spot check the servers for the latest updates, patches and security settings that keep them running on top form – a standard health check. Connectivity is tested to make sure everything is backing up to Aindale/KTD 24/7 in case of any disasters on site – nothing will be lost.
There’s a new teacher on the staff, and Herb sets them up as a new user on the relevant systems and ensures that they have the right hardware and software. Herb enjoys this process as often the new software is specific to Education and he gets to learn about something new too! This week it’s a popular education and coding piece of software.
Herb now gets to the bit all technicians love – fixing things! This week it’s a SMART board that appears to have given up the ghost, and Herbs initial consideration is that projection has failed or it’s lost connectivity. In this instance it is lost connectivity so just an easy fix job, not a repair or, worse, a replacement!
You know when you get a new laptop and it’s all configured and fully loaded with everything you need? Well, Herb has 20 new laptops for the students and 5 for the teachers plus 20 new iPads to set up from scratch – and he can’t wait! Security, school’s software, Wifi and apps, all of which need to be checked and tested, and Herb is in his element!
It’s lunchtime, and our intrepid engineer is invited to eat with the kids – his favourite bit of the day – as they tell him what they’ve been learning and try to teach him the latest slang and dance moves (now that’s something we’d all love to see!)
Herb’s afternoon starts with an important job, as this is at the heart of the school’s security – he’s ensuring that the network is running smoothly. Today there are some passwords and a tricky network issue or two, and after a final check that all security and AV are running properly across the whole school system, Herb heads to the staff room to refill his coffee cup!
Herb provides a handover to the administrator, updating “The Book” with any identified future needs, concerns or considerations. A quick chat about the abysmal showing the local football team made on the weekend, and Herb (and his trusty coffee mug) sign out with a cheerful “see you next week”.
Herb says, “Working in schools is the most rewarding part of my job. I get to see how the technology we support plays a part in building the future generations, and how far teaching has come since I was a lad, and I could almost wish myself back to the classroom!”
To learn more about the benefits of outsourcing your IT to Aindale/KTD, read our “6 reasons why” blog. Alternatively if you have any questions about support for your school visit www.ktdonline.com/schools or please get in touch on 01539 732540 or at sales@ktdonline.com
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