Weekly Update – w/c 11th May

Fordrough Update

The IT workshop is finally finished, and looks really good. Desk positions are decided, and Zaf has moved in – and is liking it. We now need to decide on the layout in the office, which I am currently working on with Phil Forrest.

Some new arrivals this week including a couple of curriculum managers – and then later in the week, the second group from MIS are moving.

Today Rob and I are starting the planning for what ILT is to go where, in the first instance. Our aim is to get to 70% of classrooms to be equipped – this is in line with the IT Strategy that sets out that we shall have 70% of each campus equipped.

SCCM

Stu and Paul returned last week from their SCCM admin training with some very good ideas on how to maximise its potential. Paul has made some startling calculations about potential money savings if we start automating the shutdown of PCs across the college. He, with Andy and Stu, have solved the wake-on-LAN situation which now means we can turn on the majority of our PCs… which is brilliant .

That capability would have been invaluable when we had the recent virus outbreak, as we would have been able to get the machines on to be able to scan, and to deploy fixes.

I am meeting with estates to look at how we can monitor current costs (no pun intended) – to then see what sort of savings we can make. Very exciting.

TrackIT

I am revisiting the new version of TrackIT – with a view to us upgrading in the summer. Once I have it installed and have had chance to have a play I will share with you all at a team gathering.

Skills Matrix

This is coming along very nicely now – and I think we shall be pretty close to the finished product on Friday… however, I do intend that we all get the chance to have a discussion before it is finally complete.

Budgets

Andy and Stu are currently working on the planning for the server and network requirements for Capital expenditure for next year and the year after – so if you see them huddled together with furrowed brows – this is the reason. Once they have their proposal, we shall share it with the team… a lot will depend on budget availability next year, which is why I have asked them to work out 3 possible ways forward.

Tidy Office

A couple of visits last week to HW – and I’m pleased to report that the office is still tidy… well done, please keep it up. Tech is a different story… a proverbial bombsite – but yesterday, John, Pete and Andy worked their magic, and it is now transformed:

 

Please ensure that we keep it that way.

Night out

Thursday 28th – straight after work… heading into town for a couple of beers and something to eat. For those that don’t know, the Brad is back, so we shall try and get him out – and maybe Andrew and Ben also. Would be great if everyone could come out – even if just for 1 drink.

All for now – have a great week. See you all Friday.