7.23.26 - IT Operations and User Access Management Meeting

Mitch’s PTO and Future Check-In Logistics

• Mitch will be on Paid Time Off (PTO) for the entirety of next week, starting on $07/27$.

• This absence necessitates the postponement of a recurring check-in meeting.

• There is uncertainty regarding the management of the ticket list during Mitch's absence; Luke suggests that the other Mitch (subbing) should still pull the list to maintain consistency and prevent the list from becoming excessively large for the following week.

• Luke and Gus plan to discuss with Mitch later today whether the other Mitchell can provide the list, allowing Gus to mark up specific tickets for review upon Mitch's return.

User Access Coverage and Training Documentation

• Gus is assigned to cover user access tickets for the next $4$ days: Friday, the following Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday ($07/28$ - $08/01$) while Lisa is out.

• Gus has been training on user access for the past $2$ weeks and has developed a comprehensive workflow to guide the process.

• Quality checks by Lisa confirmed Gus's preparation was solid, specifically reducing the number of screenshots to the $4$ main ones required for documentation.

• Gus's workflow includes standard URLs for the following systems:

  • CRM

  • Fund Accounting (noted to be consistent across various instances)

  • Standard URLs provided by Lisa

  • Investor Portal (to be filled based on individual tickets)

  • Client Hub (to be filled based on individual tickets)

Operational Workflow for Client Extranet and System Performance

• Gus identified a specific navigation detail in Step $6$ of the workflow: creating client extranet permissions requires clicking a small caret symbol located next to the client name.

• A known system behavior in Fund Accounting (often referred to as "BAM") involves the system freezing or loading slowly when assigning users to client companies. This is considered completely normal.

• The explanation for this latency is that while it appears as a $1$-click action for the administrator, the system must process the assignment across every fund and company listed within that client. The complexity and duration of the save action increase exponentially based on the volume of companies involved.

• Efficiency Strategy: The recommended order of operations is to toggle the Fund Accounting assignment first, then proceed to the CRM to complete contact setups and extranet permissions. By the time the CRM tasks and screenshots are completed, the Fund Accounting process should have finished loading in the background.

Discrepancy Tracking for User Koa and Historical Data Issues

• Gus encountered an issue where a user named Koa (username filter: $k$ before the $o$) appeared to lose access after a system timeout and forced closure of the navigation.

• Luke noted that historical user access data (specifically for Balance Point and Woven Earth) may have been inconsistently recorded by a predecessor who was perceived as less proficient than Lisa.

• Resolution for Koa:

  • Gus must manually add Koa back to "Wind Forest," "Balance Point," and "Woven Earth."

  • For the "Wind Forest" access date, Gus will use the current activation date.

  • For "Woven Earth," Gus will use the original activation date of $02/02/2026$.

• Luke remarked on the fantasy-style naming conventions of the client companies (e.g., Wind Forest, Woven Earth, Palantir, Infinity Gauntlet), comparing them to "evil orbs" from movies.

Strategic Prioritization of Support and Access Requests

• Luke established a clear tier-based priority system for Gus's daily responsibilities:

  • Priority $1$: SIS Ops Support Tickets. These take precedence because support issues directly impact the engagement team's ability to perform their jobs.

  • Priority $2$: User Access Tickets. These are essential but often involve external wait times.

  • Priority $3$: Terry’s Onboarding Projects. These should be addressed as a fallback when the primary queues are clear.

• Within User Access, "ARC tickets" are noted for being extremely fast to process and should be handled immediately. "AllView tickets" involve a longer lifecycle due to external dependencies.

Multi-Level Review and Ticket Routing Protocols

• Chris is designated as the primary ($1^{st}$ level) reviewer for all staffing requests, including ARC and AllView tickets.

• The routing process for AllView tickets is as follows:

  • Gus prepares the ticket.

  • Chris conducts the first review.

  • Chris routes the ticket to John for SOC approval.

  • Once approved, the ticket is moved to "Approved User Access" or "Escalated to AllView."

  • Gus must then monitor for "Welcome Emails" from AllView to finalize the process.

• Gus is responsible for monitoring the full staffing request queue even if tickets are technically owned by Lisa during her absence.

Global IT Infrastructure and AllView CloudOps Turnaround

• The AllView CloudOps team operates globally with teams in India and the European Union (EU).

• Because they work on a different schedule than the domestic business day, Processing a ticket in the morning does not necessarily expedite it, as it will likely sit with the CloudOps team for a minimum of $24\,hours$ to $48\,hours$.

• Gus is advised not to neglect the queue until the next morning, as a sudden influx of tickets in the afternoon could create a bottleneck.

PTO Transition Plans and Alternative Escalation Points

• Luke’s PTO begins on Wednesday, and he will be out for $5$ days. Lisa will return the same day Luke leaves.

• Transition of Responsibility:

  • While Luke is out and Lisa is back, Lisa will resume ownership of User Access tickets.

  • Gus will pivot back to focusing primarily on support tickets during the $5$-day period of Luke's absence.

  • On August $3$ and August $4$, both Luke and Lisa will be out; Alec will act as the preparer for user access. Gus only needs to assist Alec if the situation becomes "dire."

• Technical Escalation Points while Luke is away:

  • AllView Managers: Terry, Cam, John, Lisa, and Brian (Director Brian Rivera is the final level of escalation).

  • ARC Escalations: Nathaniel and Sarah (for sign-offs, including General Ledgers). Keegan is mentioned as an associate familiar with contact troubleshooting, PCAPS, and GL ledgers for day-to-day questions.

Corporate Facilities and Travel Procedures

• Gus inquired about visiting other office locations, specifically Boston and Portland, Oregon.

• Luke confirmed this is standard practice and used the example of Terry, who travels and works from various offices frequently.

• Procedures for visiting other offices:

  • Employees must use the "Deskwork" app to book a desk at the specific office location.

  • Visiting employees do not typically have local key fobs and may need to ring in for entry.

• Office Context:

  • San Francisco is the original office.

  • Boston was the $2^{nd}$ office ever opened; current personnel there include Brian Rivera (AML side), Marcus, and potentially Afia (though listed data may be stale).

  • Portland is described as a "random" office location.

External Vendor Support and Hardware Provisioning

• Gus is experiencing Teams permission issues related to projects assigned by Terry and is waiting for assistance from Abacus (a managed IT service).

• Luke highlighted Kevin from Abacus as the primary contact for the firm. Kevin is described as highly helpful but known for long conversations about sports, such as Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

• Luke shared an anecdote about receiving a new computer from Kevin after having a loaner for $1\,month$. Kevin and an IT specialist called unexpectedly to announce the hardware was ready just when Luke thought they had forgotten.

Questions & Discussion

• Gus: Asks if the workflow for user access will change with the move to a browser-based version.

• Luke: Explains that the browser version is expected to be a $1$ to $1$ copy. While search bars or filters might look slightly different, the overall workflow and processes will remain largely the same.

• Gus: Checks the specific days of his upcoming responsibilities.

• Luke: Confirms coverage for Friday, Monday, and Tuesday ($3$ days primarily, with Luke leaving Wednesday). Note that support tickets remain Gus's top priority.

• Gus: Clarifies the review process for support tickets during Luke's PTO.

• Luke: Indicates that for AllView issues, Gus should triage to managers like Cam or Terry unless a primary reviewer is assigned. For ARC tasks like GL ledgers, Nathaniel or Sarah must sign off.

• Gus: Mentions a lack of interest in fantasy basketball due to the intensity of the $80$-game schedule and daily lineup updates.

• Luke: Agrees, noting he stopped paying attention to his league with the AML team after a week because the time commitment was too high compared to fantasy football.