23rd December 2024
Written by null null
We interviewed Simon to find out a bit more about the changes he has seen in the 35 years he’s been at Robinsons
35 years… Things must have really changed since you started? What first brought you to Robinsons?
That’s a good question. I had never worked anywhere before. I went to college, and I did an IT course. It then took me about a year to get a job after that because you needed business experience, and the catch-22 was - how do you get business experience if you haven’t had a job? …
I came here and I started off in the IT server room, we had a Mainframe computer, which was at the front of the building back in those days. The Mainframe was the size of a small office room, we used to have to type all of the commands in for invoices and other things. Before I started, Robinsons were using punched cards for data processing, which would have the data on and then put into automated machines. This was before the times when you could type things up on a keyboard.
So, when you started here, was that the first IT system you worked with?
When I started, the Mainframe had just replaced the punch card system, so I never saw the card based one in action – although, I did see the cards around, I just never used them. One of the first things I did was introduce the first ever Microsoft Windows (the first PC) to the company. After that, I introduced the Microsoft Windows network as we know it, before this we used a system called UNIVAC. That was probably the biggest change I made back then when I started, and it spiralled from there to everything that we have now on our computers. I also introduced the first mobile phone to Robinsons.
What’s kept you here for all of these years?
It sounds a bit corny, but the job is different every day, it really is. You never really know what you are going to expect. You have the general routine of things, but I just think things change all the time and I think I’ve been in an amazing position where I’ve built the whole IT infrastructure myself from the really early days, to where it is now.
How has the IT department adapted to these changes?
We have gone from having about 40 physical servers originally, and now we’ve got three physical servers with 30 virtual servers sitting across them, so we have removed 30 physical servers. I look after the infrastructure of these servers and moving away from the physical servers was probably my favourite project, which happened around 10 years ago. Since then, we have done two refreshes. Every five years, we do a refresh where we change the equipment and upgrade it. My favourite project has been virtualising it all. The technology in that is just incredible.
Yeah, I bet that is a lot easier to manage than 40 physical servers!
Yeah, it is a lot easier to manage because you can do it from one console, so you don’t have to look at each one individually, you’ve got one web base.
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen in the company or industry during your time?
Well, if you want a funny one, on my first day, we didn’t used to have the bridge connecting the two offices… When I first started, that’s where they used to have to wash all the kegs and casks. I walked through the yard at 8 o’clock in the morning and there were a group of the brewery staff sat drinking tankards, and I thought, wow, what have I walked into; 19 years of age coming to the brewery and they’re all drinking at this time! So, that is of course a massive change to now, seeing that and of course all of those characters have left now. A lot of them had already been here a really long time when I started. At that time, it was a job for life, or you stayed for a week or two. Most people stayed for life. There’s still quite a few people here over my period of 35 years.
What is your favourite thing about working here?
I was talking about this to William [the Managing Director] the other day, I know it sounds weird, but I don’t feel like it’s going to work. Because I’ve been here for so long, and because I’ve done it all, I feel like I’m going to see family. I can’t remember any morning where I’ve got up not wanting to go to work. I mean I’ve gone home some nights thinking ‘what went on there?’. But I feel like it’s just like working with family.
I suppose that is something that we really pride ourselves on at Robinsons, that it is a family brewer after all, so it makes sense that it’s got that ‘family’ feel?
Yeah, I don’t feel like I go to work anymore, it really does have that family feel to it.
Looking back, what moments or milestones stand out the most in your time here?
Virtualising of all the servers. I’ve now also moved onto cyber security. Cyber security is probably my biggest role at the moment, and it comes with the challenge of trying to stay one step ahead of hackers. However, the reality is that they often seem to be one step ahead of you, making it an ongoing struggle. It is under control, but every day we are being attacked, you really have to be on your toes. So, my main thing now is cyber security, and I love it because of the challenge of it, it’s amazing.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received—or given?
The best one I ever got told is don’t be a manager! Because you then must manage people and not systems (and systems don’t talk back!).
