Meet IT: Interviewing the TapRooT® Support Team
In celebration of National IT Day, we have interviewed our highly valued TapRooT® IT department. This group works tirelessly to support TapRooT® Users around the globe, and today, we want to highlight their stories and their passion for their jobs.
Dan Verlinde
How would you sum up your role at System Improvements to someone that knows nothing about computers?
“I have been gifted the role of strategically planning and curating the entire TapRooT® experience for our users. I get to design how our users experience our software and perform an investigation or audit. Sometimes those are just sloppy drawings or stories I tell our developers on what we want to achieve. We then collaborate on the technical details of how to make that a reality. That is my favorite part of my job, because I simply listen to the users and attempt to solve their problems and I love the creativity involved.
Other times I am troubleshooting complex problems and using Root Cause Analysis to analyze how to make “doing the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard.” This is something all TapRooT® Users do everyday and it is very analytical but the end result is always satisfying.”
What brought you to IT? What do you like about it?
“In my previous career I was involved with a software implementation as a manager that went very poorly. It was painful. I quickly identified that there was a significant gap between the business users of a software and IT professionals in aligning objectives and communicating in a way that produced great software and happy users.
I was very fortunate that at that point in my career someone identified I could act as a ‘translator’ and hired me as a Business Analyst in IT. Shortly thereafter I found myself at TapRooT® and I could not be more grateful to have been gifted SnapCharT®, the Root Cause Tree® and Corrective Action Helper® as well established frameworks on which I could design a software solution. That was maybe 25 releases ago? I love watching the evolution of it all.”
What’s the easiest tech problem someone at the office asked you to help with?
“There is a joke around the office that when something does not seem to be working correctly for someone, and I come to their desk to observe the problem, it all of a sudden starts working correctly. I’ve never figured out why that happens.
But I will add that the mute button (or buttons!) has proven to be quite a difficulty in the new era of web conferencing. I am ready for analog microphone buttons with green on and red off light displays to become standard on every keyboard. I think we call that Displays Need Improvement and Controls Need Improvement in TapRooT®.”
Angie Comer
How would you sum up your role at System Improvements to someone that knows nothing about computers?
“I don’t come from an IT background but it was an easy transition with the help of my colleagues. I quickly learned the basics and after years of experience I am now able to help clients who may know nothing about IT or computers.”
What brought you to IT? What do you like about it?
“I was intrigued with a Product Manager role. I am very organized and detail oriented so this type of work seemed right up my alley. I enjoy working with my team to accomplish our software goals. Seeing a long project, like a software release, come to fruition is so rewarding! Delivering amazing software is always our goal.”
What’s the easiest tech problem someone at the office asked you to help with?
“Getting someone set up in the software.”
Harold Beckman
How would you sum up your role at System Improvements to someone that knows nothing about computers?
“I would say that I like to put myself ‘virtually’ beside the client to let them know that they’re not alone and I’m here to help them resolve any issues they face.”
What brought you to IT? What do you like about it?
“I have been in the IT field since 1998. Got my degree in 2009. I decided to embark into IT instead of nursing because of the challenges that I would face within the evolution of technology.”
What’s the easiest tech problem someone at the office asked you to help with?
“The easiest issue I’ve helped with is making sure a laptop was powered on.”
Josh Unger
How would you sum up your role at System Improvements to someone that knows nothing about computers?
“I am one of the video editors here at the office. I also help test the software when I am asked, and try to keep the air conditioners running properly.”
What brought you to IT? What do you like about it?
“The joy of editing videos. I went to school for video editing and have enjoyed doing it from the beginning.”
What’s the easiest tech problem someone at the office asked you to help with?
“I was asked to figure out why one of the TV screens in one of our media rooms was not working properly, and discovered that somehow one of the cords had come unplugged.”
Lumar Regalado
How would you sum up your role at System Improvements to someone that knows nothing about computers?
“I’m in charge of the work group that helps clients and internal users resolve their issues with the company’s computer systems.”
What brought you to IT? What do you like about it?
“When I was young, IT was in its infancy in my country, and I was drawn to the innovative nature of the subject. There’s always something new to learn and a great job market to develop.”
What’s the easiest tech problem someone at the office asked you to help with?
“The easiest problem is when a user calls me reporting a problem. I tell them ‘I’ll come over,’ and when I arrive, the problem has resolved itself.”
Company Culture
One of most important aspects of the TapRooT® System is company culture. Recognizing different parts of a team’s achievements and struggles allows a company to create a safer and more effective workplace. National IT Day is a great opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of your team.
To learn more about what it means to have a safe company culture, check out our blog article here.
If you’re interested in improving your company culture, let’s talk about how TapRooT® RCA can strengthen your work systems.
