Meet the Team

What is your job title?

IT Manager

How long have you been working for J.T. Ellis?

20 years

What responsibilities does your role include?

My role is really two jobs rolled into one. On the one hand I am the IT Manager and on the other I am responsible for supporting and developing our ERP system, Frontier.

Whilst I have many responsibilities as an IT manager the department can only function properly with the help of Tom and Jane who work for me.

IT Responsibilities:

• Management of all our hardware—servers(12+), PCs&laptops(150+), firewalls(2), network switches(19), printers(20+), mobile devices(70+), CCTV cameras(50+), Wi-Fi, and more.

• Software licensing and support for products like Windows, Office 365, Teams, Ring Central, design software, IBM Software, Frontier, Eurora transport, various shop floor systems and more. Currently we have over 75 different pieces of software/software services that we use.

• Management of “Landline” phone system, mobile phones and internet connectivity.

• Ensuring cybersecurity is very tight and that we stay compliant with Cyber Essentials on an ongoing basis.

Frontier Responsibilities:

• Supporting the system on an ongoing basis when help is required due to issues of various types.

• Develop new functionality/reports when required

• Very occasionally upgrade the system to the latest version released by our software supplier, this is always a big job as we have a lot of modifications in the software that need to be upgraded.

What’s a typical day like for you?

A typical day can vary quite a bit. I mostly work from home, but I’m in the office one or two days a week. When I’m at home, I always have a project to-do list I want to work through, but it’s often hard to spend long stretches on any one thing because support requests keep coming in.

Jane and Tom do a great job handling general IT issues, but most of the Frontier-related problems tend to land with me. So even though I start the day with good intentions to make progress on my list, it’s often the afternoon before I get a chance to look at anything properly.

When I’m in the office, I try to focus on tasks I can’t do from home—usually hardware-related jobs that need hands-on attention or meeting with people where it's best to do it in person.

How has your role evolved since you joined J.T. Ellis?

When I joined Ellis in 2004 we didnt have any real IT Infrastructure - some employees had PCs but we didnt have a "proper" network that was controlled. Each PC plugged into a "hub" (not a switch) so they could talk to each other, the only server we had was the Frontier green screen server. Life was simple in those days as in the main I had to worry about Frontier, the concept of Cyber Security didnt even exist.

Over the years we have moved forward so much - we have multiple servers (IBM, Windows, Linux), proper networking, many different device types (PCs, laptops, phones, tablets,RaspberryPis -all centrally controlled), IT integration to shop floor machines, CCTV, Wifi and very robust cyber security. All of this has made the role a lot more demanding as there is just so much more to manage. Frontier support has also increased over the years, we use the system so much more now than we did back in 2004, user requirements are just more complex.

How has J.T. Ellis grown or changed since you’ve been with the company?

J.T. Ellis has changed a lot since I started - both in terms of the IT infrastructure but also the shop floor equipment that is in use. The company has invested over the years and ensured it's progression as time moves forward, hence the huge changes in IT infrastructure and shop floor machinery.

What’s a project / product design you’re really proud of?

There have been so many projects over the years and within IT it is a case of continual improvement rather than specific projects. I think from my own point of view each time I upgrade Frontier to the next release is something I am proud of, over the years I may have done this four or five times. It is a lot of work over a number of months and as Tom Ellis says - you know it is a success when no one notices the upgrade has gone in.

What do you most like about working for J.T. Ellis?

It is a good company to work for, family run which gives it a culture that you dont find in corporate driven organisations. It always amazes me how many people leave the company only to return again realising the grass isn't always greener in the next field.

If you weren't doing your current job what would you like to be?

Doctor

What was your first job?

Bingo Caller

What is your favourite film?

Blues Brothers

What's your favourite food?

Chinese

Do you have any interesting hobbies?

Play around with computers in my spare time - sad but true.