Why Nominee Michael Allen Deserves to Be Named IT Hero of the Year 2021
Lansweeper proudly presents the story of Michael Allen from Sarah Group. This system administrator has the makings of a true IT hero and deserves some recognition. Support this nominee by reading their story and casting your vote before July 26!
What impact has Michael demonstrated professionally and/or in the community to support this candidacy?
Michael Allen works as Desktop Support Officer at Sarah Group, a business that operates in commercial construction and plumbing, as well as maintenance and water treatment. Michael is very active on forums, including the Lansweeper Community Forum, where he is involved in a large number of projects and requests for assistance. “I try and help where I can, as there is nothing worse than unanswered requests,” he says.
Aside from being a helpful community member, Michael is also a stellar IT pro who found several ways to optimize Sarah Group’s IT inventory management. “When I first started working at Sarah Group, I found many gaps.” The long list of optimizations Michael made includes performing Windows 10 upgrades, eliminating manual software deployments, solving printer delays and latencies between the head office and the various remote construction sites, and setting up switch scanning to monitor port activity and usage periods on every site. “We were previously doing everything manually. With Lansweeper, we could set and forget – letting Lansweeper do the rest. This enabled us to manage a bunch of machines at once, saving useful IT-staff time for other projects.“
How has Lansweeper helped in making that impact?
„Lansweeper has been a godsend in our business,” insists Michael. “It’s saved us time and effort, as well as increased our audit capabilities.” This has not only benefitted Sarah Group. “The company upgrade-policy requires us to replace our laptops every 3 years. With Lansweeper we can efficiently audit each device to make sure that our inventory is compliant. But many of the replaced devices are still useful working assets. That’s why we decided to set up a foundation to donate them to community charities, helping those in need.”
“Lansweeper has been a godsend in our business. It has saved us time and effort, as well as increased our audit capabilities.”
Michael Allen, Desktop Support Officer, Sarah Group
What was Michael’s biggest challenge so far in 2021?
During the Covid-19 outbreak construction in Australia was designated an essential business. But international travel restrictions and shortages interfered. “We were due to upgrade our equipment,” Michael explains. “Getting hardware via air was difficult. And Apple allocated iPads and iPhones to remote learning and emergency services in the US. Fortunately, the supply chain mostly appears to be returning to normal.”
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Vote NowAbout Sarah Group
Sarah Group was established in 1961. The group comprises Sarah Constructions, a commercial construction contractor, and Hindmarsh Plumbing, commercial plumbing, maintenance, and water treatment contractor. Starting in 1961, the Sarah family became a trusted name in the building industry by providing quality design and outstanding customer service. More than 60 years later, Sarah has cemented itself as a leader in the industry and these values still remain at the forefront of every project they undertake. Hindmarsh Plumbing was established in 1973 as a part of the Sarah Group with the purpose of delivering superior commercial plumbing services to the South Australian marketplace.
Company name: Sarah Group
Founding date: 1961
Industry: Building and construction
Country: Australia
Number of employees: 437
Number of IT assets: 418
Website: sarahgroup.com.au
During the SysAdmin Day Awards Lansweeper celebrates the work of system administrators and IT teams everywhere. Take part in the celebrations by voting for your favorite nominee. They have a chance at winning the title of IT Hero of 2021 and various other prizes. Find more information on the competition here.