We asked him about a typical day…
Well that question is a difficult one to answer because throughout my career at Inbay I couldn’t describe any of my days as ‘typical’- though I can say that with a staff of 85+ looking after multiple MSPs globally and thousands of users and devices, each and every day is guaranteed to be busy. And each brings a fresh set of challenges.
What time do you start the day?
Around 7am. Before I leave home at 8am, I check the online newspapers and quickly scan my emails to see if there is anything urgent that needs my attention. The journey to the office in Colombo, which at any other time would take 15 minutes, takes four times as long in rush hour!
What are the first things you do at the office?
I log into our KPI dashboards and review what has happened overnight. I check we’re meeting our clients’ SLAs, first call resolution and other key metrics. I’ll then join the first 15-minute shift ‘scrum’ meeting of the day to get a heads up on ongoing tickets, feedback, project progress – and to get a general metrics review. These stand-up meetings are an important part of each shift kick-off, and allow us to keep track of where we are and how we’re doing.
What is the most important thing you do when you get to work?
Once I’ve got the heads up on what happened overnight, for me, it’s planning my day. I start by drawing up a task list of the key things I need to do. I use ‘time boxing’ to help me manage my time. This means allocating a fixed time period (time box), to each planned activity. I find it the most efficient way of completing the bigger tasks – and it’s a good way of handling the annoying small stuff too. The time allocated might not be enough to complete the task, but it means I can keep moving forward with the crucial things, without getting bogged down in some of the less important issues.
Inbay offers 24/7 service. Hopefully that doesn’t mean you have to be available 24/7 too?
Fortunately not! We have three different teams of engineers and customer service agents working shifts to provide 24/7/365 support, each with their own team leader and manager if escalation is needed. If there are issues – perhaps contractual queries that the managers can’t resolve – then I am always available online or on mobile. There are times when I work very long days – to make calls to customers in different time zones for example, or if I need to have a whole team meeting and I need to find a time slot that works for all three of my rosters.
Do you have daily contact with your colleagues in Inbay’s London head office?
Yes, we’re in constant contact. The sales and pre-sales team in the UK and our on-boarding teams here in Colombo work very closely together to plan and execute new client on-boarding and existing client management. We use Chat and video conference calls to communicate with our colleagues in London. We have a very good relationship with them and work as one team – despite being 5,500 miles apart. The only thing that complicates matters sometimes is the 5.5 hours’ time difference!
What’s your favourite aspect of the working day?
I think that’s when I get feedback from our clients that we are delivering a quality service. That’s a very satisfying part of my role, and one that makes all the hard work worthwhile.
What’s your least favourite aspect of the day?
To be honest I enjoy all of it. I’m doing the job I always dreamed of having.
What makes you go home feeling satisfied?
I think that’s probably providing solutions or answers to any issues that are escalated to me – and, of course, successfully working through my list of tasks.
How do you unwind after a long day?
Having a chat with my wife when I get home – and a large G&T if it’s been a particularly stressful day!
