The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, unveiled its new Information Technology (IT) Helpdesk during a ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 31. The newly renovated space provides a more functional and efficient area devoted to assisting employees with their technology needs.
Savannah District Commander Col. Marvin Griffin and ACE-IT Chief Herman Kramer cut the ceremonial ribbon during the event.
“It’s an honor to cut the ribbon here today,” said Griffin. “It’s all about customer service, so I appreciate your willingness to look at ways to improve how we deliver information technology services to the district,” he said. “This event provides a good opportunity to recognize and say thanks for what ACE-IT does because we couldn’t accomplish our mission without them.”
New Helpdesk features include all new furniture, such as raised workstations, a consolidated work bench area with wall-mounted computer monitors, and a standalone machine specifically designated for new employees to complete Information Assurance training.
Kramer said one of the biggest improvements is the new location of the Helpdesk, which is right off the first floor elevator next to the ACE-IT administrative area. The previous Helpdesk was isolated from the rest of ACE-IT, and was difficult for employees to find.
“The new location provides easier access for employees, and it’s absolutely fantastic to have the Helpdesk staff in the same area with the rest of IT,” said Kramer.
For some, the previous location was uninviting and felt more like a “warehouse.”
It’s a cleaner environment now, said Jason Parker, Savannah District Supervisor, ACE-IT Helpdesk. Parker said that the new area provides a more professional and customer friendly atmosphere by minimalizing clutter and consolidating operational equipment like monitors, docking stations and cabling.
“To see the newly renovated space gives me more pride,” said Kerry Taylor, ACE-IT. “It’s more of a professional setting, and will hopefully give the Helpdesk staff more of a sense of belonging.”
As the person responsible for Cyber Security Change throughout the Corps, Taylor was also excited about the new standalone machine designated for new employee Information Assurance training.
“It will help to streamline the onboarding process for new employees,” said Taylor.
Previously new employees would have to utilize a colleagues machine in order to complete the Army required Information Assurance Training that accompanies having a new network account created. With the new standalone machine, Taylor said that new employees will gain access to the network a lot faster and can simply logon using their temporary credentials to take the training.
“I really appreciate the district’s support in making this happen,” said Kramer. “Without everyone’s contributions it wouldn’t have happened.”
The project, which took six months to complete, was a collaborative effort among Information Management, Contracting, Resource Management, Logistic Management, and Engineering divisions.